Are you a recent graduate or rising 3L? Are you looking for public interest career opportunities? Equal Justice Works (EJW) might be right for you.
EJW has helped launch the public interest careers of more than a thousand attorneys through its paid postgraduate public interest fellowship programs. These fellowship programs fund hundreds of public interest attorneys each year to close the justice gap on issues such as unemployment, foreclosure, community economic development, immigration, civil rights, homelessness, access to healthcare, and domestic violence.
Read on for details regarding the EJW AmeriCorps Fellowship Program for recent graduates and for the EJW Fellowship Program for recent graduates and rising 3Ls.
EJW AmeriCorps Legal Fellowships – Recent Graduates Only
EJW currently has funding for AmeriCorps Fellowship positions under two grants – the Veterans Legal Corps (VLC) and the Employment Opportunity Legal Corps (EOLC).
VLC Fellows provide legal assistance to low-income and homeless veterans with issues related to disability benefits claims, barriers to housing and employment, debt, family law, and other legal issues. There are currently seven openings within the VLC for positions opening between August 1 and September 30, 2014 and running for an 11-12 month term (with possible renewals for a second year). Visit Equal Justice Works for a complete list of current openings. EJW will continue to post fellowship positions from now through the end of July as they become open, so interested applicants should check the website regularly.
The EOLC will be the largest single deployment of 40 lawyers to work on removing barriers to employment, such as correcting, removing, sealing or expunging minor criminal records, correcting credit reports, obtaining driver’s licenses, and keeping occupational licenses. At the end of the first program year, the EOLC members will be responsible for reaching 5,000 economically disadvantaged individuals, preparing 2,500 legal cases, and removing legal barriers to employment for 1,000 people, of whom 500 will secure jobs. EOLC Fellows will begin working between August 1 and September 30, 2014. Interested applicants should check the EJW website after July 15, 2014 for openings at EOLC host sites.
All AmeriCorps Fellowship positions will be posted on the EJW website, but applicants must apply directly to the host site and should contact host sites directly for further information on position availability.
EJW Fellowships – Recent Graduates and Rising 3Ls
EJW Fellowships provide the opportunity for lawyers to positively affect vulnerable communities around the country through new and innovative legal projects that can impact lives and serve communities in desperate need of legal assistance. Together with a host organization, Fellows design a unique project which focuses on legal advocacy on behalf of disenfranchised individuals, groups or issues not adequately represented in our legal system. Applicants are responsible for finding a host organization willing to be the Fellow’s employer during the term of the two-year fellowship, meet salary requirements, and provide supervision, a work space, employee health and fringe benefits, and the materials (computer, internet access, phone, etc.) necessary to successfully complete the project. EJW reviews the applications and selects projects that can be matched with potential sponsors. Sponsors determine whom they would like to interview and ultimately choose the Fellow.
Depending on funding, EJW typically provides between 45-60 two-year fellowships annually (the Class of 2013 included 57 Fellows) supported by the sponsorships of major law firms and Fortune 500 companies. Fellows receive a competitive salary, generous loan repayment assistance, connections to their prominent sponsors, participation in trainings, and additional support during their two-year tenure. Click here to learn more about current Fellows and their projects!
The application is available now on the EJW website and must be submitted online by 4 p.m. CST on September 17, 2014. Prospective applicants are strongly encouraged to create a profile and draft an application well in advance of the September deadline to get a sense for how the online application form works. Online drafts can be saved and updated on an ongoing basis until the deadline. Becoming an EJW Fellow is highly competitive, and decisions are made on a rolling basis, so it is best to submit applications as soon as possible. Note that bar passage is not required at the time the application is due; however, bar passage within the first fellowship year is required if determined necessary by the host organization and by the nature of the project.
Anyone interested in applying for an EJW fellowships should contact Shannon O’Bryan in CSO as soon as possible.
Prospective applicants should also register for EJW’s free webinar on July 16 titled “Creating a Successful Application for an Equal Justice Works Fellowship.” This webinar will be held again on August 13; registration information for this webinar will be available on the website soon.
Tagged: employers, fellowships, job search strategy, public interest
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