The American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey (ACLU-NJ) invites third-year law students and judicial law clerks to apply for a sponsorship opportunity through the New Jersey State Bar Foundation (NJSBF) to work as a public interest law fellow to advance immigrants’ rights. As an integral part of the ACLU-NJ, law fellows gain practical experience through defending and expanding civil liberties and constitutional rights: they will have the opportunity to work on lawsuits, advocate for clients, educate New Jerseyans on their civil rights and liberties, and engage with our policy and communications teams on advancing legislation and public outreach.
We will work with a successful applicant to develop a joint project proposal centered around protecting and advancing the rights of immigrants and immigrant communities. ACLU-NJ legal staff will collaborate with the selected fellowship candidate to develop a proposal that builds on the candidate’s interests and skills, ensures appropriate supervision and mentorship, aligns with ACLU-NJ’s priorities, and employs effective strategies. The ACLU-NJ will work closely with candidates to craft a joint proposal to submit to the NJSBF.
Please note that the ACLU-NJ does not have independent internal funding for this fellowship position and thus the position is contingent on receiving the NJSBF grant.
Overview
As the New Jersey affiliate of the national ACLU, we advance wide-ranging civil rights, civil liberties, and racial justice issues. We are focused on ending discriminatory criminal justice policies, challenging abusive police practices, protecting and expanding voting rights, and fighting for the rights of immigrants, students, and LGBTQ people. We also prioritize issues at the nexus of civil liberties and economic justice because of our belief that people must possess the basic necessities of life in order to enjoy other constitutional rights and freedoms.
Expanding the rights of immigrants is a top strategic priority of the ACLU-NJ, and we advocate on all fronts: litigation, legislation, public outreach, and organizing. We have driven powerful advocacy to fight immigration detention, to make driver’s licenses accessible for all New Jerseyans, and to end state and local law enforcement’s participation in federal detentions and deportation actions, among other work. Through this project, the ACLU-NJ aims to expand our work defending and strengthening immigrants’ rights here in New Jersey.
Qualifications
In addition to having passion for civil rights and civil liberties and alignment with the mission of the ACLU-NJ, the ideal candidate will be a self-starter and be able to work independently, manage projects, and collaborate and be part of a team. We are looking to sponsor candidates who are able to think critically, write clearly and accessibly, and have some litigation (such as a clinic, internship, or clerkship) or policy advocacy experience. The ideal candidate will also have a strong commitment to racial equity, and an understanding of how power is manifested in matters of race, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, religion, ability, and socio-economic circumstances. Candidates fluent in Spanish or languages other than English are strongly encouraged to apply.
The ACLU-NJ values a diverse work environment and strongly encourages applications from women, people of color, people who identify as LGBTQ, people with disabilities, people who have experienced poverty or homelessness, people who have had prior contact with the juvenile, criminal, child welfare, or immigration systems, and people who have personal experience with other issues we work on.
To Apply
To apply, please email careers@aclu-nj.org with a single pdf containing a résumé, writing sample, law school transcript and a cover letter that details specific interests and outlines a fellowship project proposal.
At this stage, your project proposal can be broad, while centered around immigrants’ rights. Your project proposal should give us a sense of the kind of work you are hoping to ultimately do as a part of your fellowship and allows us to anticipate how we could best work with you to craft that project. Please review the NJSBF’s website for additional details on what the final proposal must include. We invite applicants to include in their cover letter information about how their background and/or experiences could contribute to the diversity, cultural vitality, and perspective of our staff and advocacy work.
The candidate will be expected to work closely with the ACLU-NJ to finalize and submit the joint project proposal by December 20, 2024.
About the Position
Compensation: The ACLU-NJ pays law fellows on the same scale as staff attorneys and starts at $72,000 for a new law graduate.
Location: The position is based at the ACLU-NJ’s office located in Newark, NJ, where staff members work on a hybrid remote work schedule and need to be available to participate in hearings, meetings, and other events within New Jersey.
Deadlines: We will begin to review applications on November 18, 2024, on a rolling basis until December 2, 2024. The final proposal is due to the NJSBF by December 20, 2024.
The ACLU-NJ is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture of belonging. It is our policy to employ qualified people without regard to race; color; gender, gender identity or expression; religion; sex; national origin or ancestry; age; disability; sexual orientation; veteran’s status; marital status; civil union status; arrest or court record; citizenship; credit history; genetic information; status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual violence, or stalking; or any other characteristic protected under federal or state law. Black people, Indigenous people, people of color; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex people, women, people with disabilities, protected veterans, and formerly incarcerated individuals are all strongly encouraged to apply.
The ACLU-NJ makes every effort to assure that its recruitment and employment provide all qualified persons, including persons with disabilities, with full opportunities for employment in all positions. We are committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual with a disability and need assistance applying online, please email careers@aclu-nj.org. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.