Website Lawyering Project
POSITION SUMMARY:
Founded in 2017, the Lawyering Project is a legal advocacy organization that blends traditional impact litigation with movement lawyering to promote reproductive health, rights, and justice throughout the United States. We are fiscally sponsored by the Tides Center, a 501(c)(3) organization.
Laws that undermine reproductive health, rights, and justice deprive people of moral agency, rob us of control over our bodies, and compound other forms of oppression like racism, sexism, and poverty. Our mission is to eliminate these laws and the harmful impacts they have on people’s lives. We are especially focused on laws that limit the availability or affordability of abortion care; contribute to disparities in reproductive health outcomes; embody gender-based stereotypes; or discriminate against people based on their reproductive decisions.
Our goal is a legal system that enables each of us to make decisions about intensely personal matters like sex, pregnancy, family, and healthcare based on our own beliefs and values, and ensures that we all have the resources we need to carry out those decisions.
We have two legal programs: Litigation and Access & Innovation. These complementary programs seek to eliminate barriers to abortion access and uphold the dignity of people seeking and providing abortion care. The Litigation Program focuses on developing and prosecuting challenges to restrictive abortion laws. The Access & Innovation Program supports abortion access and innovation in service delivery by providing legal services to abortion providers, researchers, and advocates. The goal of this work is to remove practical barriers to abortion access and innovation that cannot be addressed through litigation.
The Lawyering Project is seeking a Legal Fellow for an 18-month fellowship. The Legal Fellow will play a vital role in supporting both of the Lawyering Project’s legal programs. The Legal Fellow will participate in all aspects of litigation, from case development through appeal. Additionally, the Legal Fellow will help advise and represent Access & Innovation clients.
The Legal Fellowship is a time-limited, exempt position that will last for 18 months. Exempt employees are expected to work the appropriate and necessary time in order to complete key assignments and related tasks on schedule.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Conduct legal and factual research, analysis, and writing;
- Participate in all stages of litigation in both trial and appellate courts;
- Cite-check and copy-edit briefs;
- Assist with court filings;
- Participate in the representation of Access and Innovation clients;
- Stay up to date on developments in relevant areas of the law; and
- Cultivate an organizational culture that aligns with our core values
OTHER DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Assist with other legal work on an as-needed basis;
- Assist in maintaining strategic partnerships with allied organizations; and
- Represent the Lawyering Project at conferences, convenings, and speaking engagements
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:
The Legal Fellow must have:
- A J.D. or equivalent degree;
- An active license to practice law in a U.S. jurisdiction;
- 1-2 years of relevant legal experience; and
- A commitment to advancing reproductive rights and justice
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:
- Knowledge of laws affecting access to health care; reproductive rights jurisprudence; and the reproductive health, rights, and justice movement;
- Skill in legal cite-checking; legal research, analysis, and writing;
- Ability to take initiative; manage a variety of tasks; meet deadlines; work well under pressure; and demonstrate attention to detail.
ORGANIZATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS:
The Legal Fellow reports to a Senior Counsel and works closely with other staff members, clients, co-counsel, and allied organizations.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS:
Must be able to travel domestically on an airplane 12-24 times per year.
WORK ENVIRONMENT:
This is a full-time position that sometimes requires work during evenings and weekends. This position may be based anywhere within the United States. The Legal Fellow has the option to work from home or from office space provided by the Lawyering Project.
SALARY:
The Lawyering Project has a fixed salary scale based on job responsibilities, education, and experience. For example, the salary for a Legal Fellow candidate with one-to-two years of relevant work experience is $101,650. A copy of this scale will be provided to any applicant upon request. We offer a robust benefits package that includes: health insurance (medical, dental, and vision); disability and life insurance; flexible spending accounts (FSA) for health, dependent care, and transportation; a retirement savings plan; paid vacation, holiday, and sick days; and paid parental, family, and medical leave. We also provide a professional development stipend and reimbursement for state bar membership fees. For additional information about our benefits, please contact [email protected].
TO APPLY:
Please email a cover letter including the personal statement described below; resume; legal writing sample (5-10 pages); and list of three professional references to [email protected]. Applications without these attachments will not be considered, even if you apply through a job site that enables you to send a direct message.
PERSONAL STATEMENT: To best achieve our mission, the Lawyering Project is committed to cultivating an inclusive and equitable workplace in which differences are acknowledged and valued. In a section of your cover letter containing no more than 200 words, please describe the identities, perspectives, and experiences that you would bring to the Lawyering Project that are important to you and/or relevant to our work.
As finalists progress in the application process, other assessments evaluating knowledge, skills, and abilities may be assigned. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.
EEO NOTE:
The Lawyering Project, a project of Tides Center, is an “at-will” and equal opportunity employer. At the Lawyering Project, we believe that a team with varied perspectives and experiences will best enable our organization to thrive and achieve its mission. We are committed to building and maintaining an inclusive work environment that values individual differences. We welcome and encourage applicants with diverse experiences, identities, and backgrounds to apply. We will not discriminate against applicants and employees because of race, religion, sex, national origin, ethnicity, age, mental or physical disability, sexual orientation, gender (including gender identity or expression), pregnancy, color, marital status, veteran status, medical condition, or any other classification protected by federal, state, or local law or ordinance.
We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations to pregnant people and qualified individuals with disabilities, including in the application process. If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in the application or interview process, please send an email with the subject line “Reasonable Accommodation Request” to [email protected].