Dunn Fellowship- Fall 2025

The ACLU-DC seeks a law student or recent law graduate for a one- or two-year attorney fellowship to begin in fall 2025.

The ACLU-DC is an affiliate office of the American Civil Liberties Union, a national nonprofit organization devoted to the protection of civil liberties and civil rights through litigation, legislation, and public education. The ACLU-DC works primarily on issues that directly impact people who live in, work in, and visit the District of Columbia, and also on challenges to certain federal government policies and practices where they fall within the jurisdiction of the D.C. federal courts.

Among the matters currently on our docket are: representing Black Lives Matter-DC and individual activists in challenging the attack by federal and local law enforcement on civil rights demonstrators in Lafayette Square on June 1, 2020; the representation of two D.C. agency workers who faced discrimination based on their family responsibilities (child care) in the application of remote work policies; a challenge to the D.C. police department’s practice of retaining arrestees’ cell phones for months or years after the owners are released or charges are dropped; a hostile work environment case on behalf of a D.C. Jail officer subjected to harassment and abuse based on his sexual orientation; two First Amendment challenges to D.C. Metro advertising guidelines that restrict ads promoting controversial policy positions; and an institutional reform case seeking to shift primary responsibility for responding to individuals’ mental health crises away from police officers in favor of mental health professionals. To learn more about our work, visit acludc.org.

NATURE OF FELLOWSHIP

We seek a law student or recent law graduate who has a passion for defending civil rights and civil liberties. The Dunn Fellow will work full-time as a litigator in the ACLU-DC Legal Department under the supervision of experienced civil rights litigators who are deeply committed to providing comprehensive feedback and mentorship. Primary responsibilities include: conducting legal research in support of ongoing or potential litigation; interviewing witnesses and potential clients; investigating potential cases including through public records requests and interviews with affected community members; taking and responding to discovery; and drafting complaints, motions, and briefs. The Fellow will also support the Policy Department as a part of the ACLU-DC’s integrated advocacy, particularly where bills before the D.C. Council relate to current or potential ACLU-DC litigation, and by assisting with Know Your Rights trainings and other community outreach.

Legal fellows have in the past had the opportunity to develop their own cases and serve as lead counsel (including primary authorship of complaints and briefs), testify before the D.C. Council, take depositions, and speak on behalf of the ACLU-DC to national and local media outlets.

The ACLU-DC and the selected applicant will decide by mutual agreement whether the fellowship will be one or two years in duration.

Salary: $67,500 / year. Benefits currently provided to all ACLU-DC employees include employer-paid health insurance (including vision and dental coverage); vacation and sick leave; generous paid holidays; 401(k) availability with partial employer match and tuition repayment assistance. The Dunn Fellow is a member of the ACLU-DC staff bargaining unit and is exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

The ACLU-DC currently operates as a hybrid-remote workplace; staff mostly work remotely, although some in-person work is required. Residency in D.C., Maryland, or Virginia is a requirement of employment with ACLU-DC. This is a full-time position, and occasional evening or weekend work may be required. Flexibility and personal/work balance are important values to the ACLU-DC, and every effort will be made to help employees meet both professional and personal obligations.

QUALIFICATIONS

• You will have obtained a J.D. by fall 2025 from an accredited law school.
• You are passionate about defending civil rights and civil liberties, particularly of disenfranchised communities.
• You have the empathy and interpersonal skills necessary to connect with, listen to, learn from, advise, and work collaboratively with clients and other community members.
• You have an excellent work ethic, including dependability, diligence, the ability to take ownership over projects, the ability to manage multiple projects; and the commitment to see projects through to completion in a collaborative environment.
• You are receptive to feedback, enthusiastic about learning and self-improvement, and able to incorporate feedback into future work.
• You have excellent legal research skills, including the judgment to discern what cases are relevant to a particular research question, and thoroughness in covering the question asked.
• You have the capacity to engage in thoughtful and perceptive legal analysis, including the ability to build a logical and persuasive argument, to read and understand legal decisions and statutes, and to grasp whether and how legal authorities apply to a new set of facts.
• You have excellent legal writing skills, including the ability to present ideas in a clear and organized manner and to write a memo that teaches the reader what you have learned through research (whether the meaning of a specific case or the state of a body of law in general).
• Your experience includes at least one clinical or externship semester or summer internship working in a litigation setting involving legal research and writing.
• You will be a D.C. Bar member by fall 2025 or will seek admission during the fellowship.

~Note to Potential Candidates: Research shows that women, non-binary people, and people of color are less likely to apply for a position if they don’t meet every qualification or skill listed. We know that not all strong candidates will have every experience or skill we list—that’s okay We still want to hear from you.

TO APPLY

The deadline for applying is 11:59pm Eastern time on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. To apply, complete the application at acludc.com/careers. Please submit:

• A resume that lists relevant experience and education
• A cover letter explaining your interest in and qualifications for the position.
• A list of three references, including a sentence about each one identifying what information the person can provide. If possible, at least one of your references should be a practicing attorney.
• In place of a transcript, a list of all law school courses that you have taken, are currently taking, or (where applicable) are scheduled to take next semester.

If you have a disability / disabilities and need accommodation regarding any part of the application process, please contact us.

The ACLU-DC is an equal opportunity employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. The ACLU-DC encourages applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status, or any other classification protected by the D.C. Human Rights Act or federal employment law.