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Protecting citizens' rights in the courts
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  Supreme Court Assistance Project FellowshipWE ARE NO LONGER ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR AUGUST 2010 - AUGUST 2011.
Public Citizen Litigation Group, founded in 1972, is the litigating arm of the non-profit advocacy organization Public Citizen. The Litigation Group’s attorneys specialize in cases involving health and safety regulation, consumer rights, access to the courts, class actions, open government, and the First Amendment, including Internet free speech. We litigate cases at all levels of the federal and state judiciaries and have argued over 50 cases in the U.S. Supreme Court, including four in both the 2005-2006 and 2007-2008 Terms. To augment our Supreme Court litigation, we operate a Supreme Court Assistance Project (SCAP), named after the Litigation Group’s founder, Alan Morrison, to help small firm practitioners, lawyers for other non-profit organizations, and other lawyers with little or no experience in Supreme Court litigation. The Project provides direct assistance to those lawyers both before review is granted, either by helping with the petition for certiorari or the brief in opposition, and, in those cases in which review is granted, working with the lawyers on the briefs and oral arguments. In some cases the principal role is assumed by a Litigation Group attorney, but generally the Group serves as co-counsel. We are looking for a bright and energetic lawyer to coordinate the Project and work on Supreme Court cases for one year. The Fellow is responsible for identifying cases warranting assistance. The Project seeks cases in which important legal principles are at stake, and where the attorneys for the side that we support — generally that of the “underdog”— may lack significant Supreme Court experience. Most, but not all, of the cases are civil rather than criminal. Most of the pre-grant cases involve assistance to the party who won below, where our role is to help devise a strategy to keep the case out of the Court and thereby preserve a victory. The Fellow will review all cert. petitions, other than those filed in forma pauperis. Working under the direct supervision of the Group’s director, the Fellow makes an initial judgment about whether the case is of no, little, or considerable interest to the Project, and then prepares a memo on those in which there may be some interest. Additional research and analysis are often required to determine whether assertions, such as a conflict among the courts of appeals, are supportable. The Fellow then makes an initial contact with the attorney to whom help is being offered to explain the Project and the assistance that we can provide. All cases accepted by the Court for full review are considered for possible assistance by the Project. Where our offer of help is accepted, one of the Group’s attorneys assumes principal responsibility for the case within the office. Increasingly, we have found ways to broaden our work by reaching potential petitioners who might wish to use our services. Over the past few years, our Fellows have reviewed scores of slip opinions from federal courts of appeals and state high courts from across the country to identify potentially cert.-worthy cases in which Litigation Group lawyers might have an interest and could offer assistance. For a list of our current SCAP cases, click here. The Fellow participates fully in all aspects of the Project, including working on draft briefs at the certiorari and merits stages, research and writing, and attending oral arguments. One important component of the Fellow’s job is to organize and coordinate moot courts in about one quarter of all granted cases, for the party whom the Litigation Group supports. The Fellow also takes charge of the public persona of the Project, providing up-to-date information on key cases the Project is monitoring for both the SCAP website and a new enewsletter called SCAP Watch, which provides updates to the public before each Supreme Court conference on pending cert. petitions of public interest. Merely listing the Fellow’s job duties, however, does not capture just how fascinating the job is. We are biased, of course, but we believe that the SCAP Fellowship is one of the most interesting jobs a lawyer could have. It provides a bird’s-eye-view of nationally important public interest litigation and of the most significant and contentious legal issues of the day, the ones that have divided courts across the country. The Fellow is given the opportunity to be involved with every aspect of Supreme Court litigation — from initial strategizing to brief writing to moot courts. For entry-level lawyers anywhere, that is practically unheard of. In addition to work on the Project, the Fellow also has an opportunity to work on other Litigation Group cases, either in the Supreme Court or elsewhere. Typically, Fellows litigate at least one case with the assistance of lawyers in the office during their tenure. The salary is aproximately $46,000, plus fully paid comprehensive health insurance (covering employee and dependents, but not the employee’s spouse) and three weeks’ vacation. Applicants should have a solid academic background, excellent writing and analytical skills, and knowledge of a wide range of subject areas that arise in Supreme Court litigation (but that knowledge need not be in depth). We are looking for a Fellow who is bright, innovative, socially adept, and a self-starter. Some practical litigation experience in school or elsewhere is preferred, but not required. A strong preference will be given to those who have a demonstrated commitment to public interest work. Minorities are strongly encouraged to apply. Applicants should send a cover letter, a resume, a list of references, a law school transcript, and a writing sample to the attention of Office Manager, at the above address or via e-mail to litapplicant@citizen.org. The writing sample should be legal in nature (brief, memorandum, or research paper) and should be the applicant’s own work, not a collaborative piece or something heavily edited by someone else. It can be of any length and should be a complex piece representing the applicant’s most difficult, challenging work. Please send the complete work, not an excerpt. In addition to the SCAP website, we urge job applicants to consult the Litigation Group website for general information on the work of the Litigation Group. The application deadline is December 15, 2009, but an offer may be extended as early as November 15, 2009. Interviews may either be in person or on the telephone. Public Citizen Litigation Group WE ARE NO LONGER ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR AUGUST 2010 - AUGUST 2011. more resources
Because Public Citizen does not accept funds from corporations, professional associations or government agencies, we can remain independent and follow the truth wherever it may lead. But that means we depend on the generosity of concerned citizens like you for the resources to fight on behalf of the public interest. If you would like to help us in our fight, click here. |
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