Pro Bono Scholars Spring 2022
The National Center for Law and Economic Justice (NCLEJ) seeks energetic, motivated Pro Bono Scholars with a record of commitment to racial and social justice and excellent writing, legal research and communication skills.
NCLEJ advances the cause of economic justice for low-income families, individuals, and communities across the country, using ground-breaking impact litigation, policy advocacy, and support for grassroots organizing. NCLEJ fights to end systemic discrimination against people of color, women, immigrants, and people with disabilities, and works to build systems that provide economic security and full participation in society to all. Our current advocacy is focused on 1) preserving and maintaining access to government benefits; 2) protecting and advancing the rights of workers; 3) combatting unlawful and abusive debt collection; and 4) advocating for people with disabilities.
Placement Description: The Pro Bono Scholars Program (PBSP) was created under special rules of the New York Court of Appeals to allow law students to take the New York Bar Exam in February of their 3L year if they commit to spending the last semester of law school working full time on pro bono legal work through the law school for credit. Students who are interested in a Pro Bono Scholars placement at NCLEJ should visit http://ww2.nycourts.gov/attorneys/probonoscholars/index.shtml for more information about the Pro Bono Scholar Program.
Students will work with staff attorneys to support ongoing impact litigation and class actions, policy analysis, and advocacy. Students have had the opportunity to assist with fact development and research for new litigation; discovery matters in pending litigation; legal and policy research on a variety of issues relating to federal court litigation; and collaborations with grassroots and community based organizations.
Qualifications: Candidates must be approved to participate in the Pro Bono Scholars Program by their law school, and meet all program requirements, including availability to work full time from February 28, 2022 through May 20, 2022. Excellent writing and research skills are essential. Students must have experience and/or a demonstrated commitment to social justice.
NCLEJ is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. We strongly encourage people of color, people with disabilities, LGBTQ+ people, and people from other historically disenfranchised communities to apply. NCLEJ does not discriminate because of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital or parental status, citizenship, disability, veteran status, record of arrest or conviction, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.
Vaccination Requirement: To help ensure that NCLEJ continues to operate in the safest manner possible, NCLEJ requires all employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
NCLEJ makes every effort to assure that its recruitment and employment provide all qualified individuals, including individuals with disabilities, with full opportunities in all positions.
How to apply: Send a cover letter, resume, list of references, and short writing sample to student@nclej.org. Due to the high volume of applications, we are not able to respond to every email. We will contact you if we wish to schedule an interview.
NCLEJ is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual with a disability and need assistance applying, please contact Leah Lotto at 212-633-6967 or lotto@nclej.org. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process
