Overview
ABOUT LATINOJUSTICE PRLDEF (LJP):
LATINOJUSTICE is one of the foremost national Latinx civil rights impact litigation and advocacy organizations in the United States. Since our founding in 1972, we have brought precedent-setting litigation that has profoundly improved the treatment of Latinos in our society. Current areas of focus include criminal justice reform, economic justice (including workers’ rights, wage theft, employment discrimination, and equal access to education), immigrants’ rights, voting rights and redistricting, the rights of Puerto Ricans both in Puerto Rico and in the diaspora, and other systemic forms of bias that adversely impact the greater pan-Latino community.
Recent litigation successes include: Florida Rising Together v. Lee, winning a trial finding that Florida’s 2021 voter suppression law violated the First and Fourteenth Amendments; Ligon v NYPD, reforming NYPD’s stop & frisk practices; EEOC v. Suffolk Laundry, securing $582,000 settlement for 7 Latina immigrant workers in Title VII sexual harassment lawsuit; In re Cesar Vargas, representing first Dreamer law graduate publicly granted NY State bar admission; Rivera-Madera v. Detzner, winning Spanish-language ballots in 32 Florida election districts pursuant to the Voting Rights Act; Lozano v City of Hazleton, enjoining a Pennsylvania city from enforcing its own local immigration ordinances; and Aguilar v. U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE), obtaining national injunctive relief reforming ICE’s home raids practices, and $1 million in damages.
ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY:
LATINOJUSTICE PRLDEF seeking to sponsor a rising 3L or recent law graduate for Fall 2023 Public Interest Legal Fellowship. Fellows will join with staff attorneys to support new and ongoing impact litigation and class actions, policy analysis, and advocacy. Previous fellows have had the opportunity to develop facts and research for new litigation; participate in discovery matters in pending litigation; conduct legal and policy research on a variety of issues; participate in settlement negotiations; draft legal briefs; and collaborate with grassroots and community based organizations locally and regionally.
LJP will work closely with applicants seeking project-based fellowships to develop project proposals and will provide support throughout the fellowship application cycle. Proposals must fit within LJP’s mission and current litigation priorities, and ideally should incorporate potential law reform litigation or international human rights advocacy and litigation as part of the project. We are particularly interested in projects that address Puerto Rico and the Puerto Rican diaspora; reproductive rights and/or gender justice, including LGBTQ rights; economic justice, including education and housing justice; and the intersection of the immigration and criminal legal systems. The proposed fellowship project should be based in either our NYC headquarter office serving the greater metropolitan NYC area; or in in our Southeast Regional Office located in Orlando, Florida.
Note that Skadden, Equal Justice Works and other external post-graduate public interest law fellowships have their own specific eligibility criteria and filing deadlines which applicants should review to verify their eligibility to apply.
WHAT WE NEED FROM YOU:
Applicants must be law students graduating by June 2023 or recent law graduates eligible for an externally funded fellowship commencing in Fall 2023. Energetic, motivated candidates with a record of commitment to social justice issues with excellent legal research, writing and communications skills are invited to apply. Bilingual Spanish/English proficiency preferred.
Applicants must submit a cover letter and/or outline of proposed fellowship project describing the project proposal, its fit with LatinoJustice’s mission and current litigation priorities, as detailed above.
COMPENSATION:
Legal Fellow’s salary is determined by LatinoJustice’s collective bargaining agreement salary scale. We offer a generous and competitive package of fringe benefits, including health, dental, vision, life and disability insurance, as well as paid vacation and medical leave.
ADA Notation:
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions in accordance with the American Disabilities act (ADA).
PLEASE NOTE:
LJP staff are currently working in a hybrid work model due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This position is designed as a 2-day per week in-person role.
LatinoJustice PRLDEF is an equal opportunity employer and considers all applications without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, disability, marital or veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, or any other legally protected status.
By submitting an application for employment you attest that all the information provided is true, accurate and complete. You acknowledge and are aware that the falsification, misrepresentation or omission of any requested information on your application and any accompanying documents will be grounds for denial of employment. In the event such falsification, misrepresentation or omission is discovered subsequent to an offer and acceptance of employment, you acknowledge that any such false or misleading information in your application or provided during interview(s) will constitute grounds for discipline including termination of employment and discharge, regardless of when or how such false or misleading information was discovered.
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