Public Interest Fellowships

The LCAC has been at the cutting edge of capital defense litigation, particularly in areas such as racial and religious discrimination, the capital prosecution of those with serious mental impairments, prosecutorial misconduct, and inadequate indigent defense funding.  In the context of our casework, we pursue impact litigation in critical areas to advance the position of indigent capital defendants more generally. The LCAC emphasizes excellence and creativity in capital practice as well as making the client the center of all efforts in the case.

A fellowship provides new lawyers with an in-depth introduction into all aspects of a capital defense practice.  Attorney fellows participate in researching and drafting legal filings, conducting fact and mitigation investigation, gathering and analyzing records, maintaining contact with clients, managing case files, and preparing for hearings and trials. They are part of case teams and work closely with senior attorneys, investigators, and mitigation specialists. Fellows are encouraged to take ownership of projects but receive close supervision from more experienced staff members.

The LCAC invites applications from law students and new lawyers who are interested in partnering with our office to pursue external fellowship funding. In the past, the LCAC has hosted recent law school graduates whose positions were funded by their law schools and by organizations such as Equal Justice Works, Soros, and Reprieve.

Applicants should send a cover letter, resume, writing sample, list of three references, and law school transcript to Linda Cortez, at hiring@thejusticecenter.org, with the subject line “Public Interest Fellowship Application.” In their cover letter, applicants should identify at least one possible funding source, and indicate whether the fellowship is project-based. If the fellowship is project-based, applicants should describe an issue they are interested in addressing. Unofficial law school transcripts are sufficient.