Clifford Chance Foundation Fellow, Legal (NYC)
Who we are
The Vera Institute of Justice, founded in 1961, envisions a society that respects the dignity of every person and safeguards justice for everyone.
- We study problems that impede human dignity and justice.
- We pilot solutions that are at once transformative and achievable.
- We engage diverse communities in informed debate.
- And we harness the power of evidence to drive effective policy and practice.
Vera's Legal Department provides comprehensive in-house legal services to the organization, including each of its administrative departments, centers, programs, and demonstration projects, and to its Board of Trustees.
The Clifford Chance Foundation Fellowship at Vera, generously funded by the Clifford Chance Foundation, will permit one Fellow to spend a year in residence as a full-time member of Vera’s Legal Department, working closely with Vera’s General Counsel and staff. The one-year Fellowship term will begin in September 2022 and is open to recent law graduates; law students graduating in 2022 are strongly encouraged to apply.
The Fellowship
The Clifford Chance Foundation Fellow will be an integral part of the team providing comprehensive in-house legal services to the organization, including each of its initiatives, programs, and administrative departments, as well as to its Board of Directors.
Over the course of the year, the Clifford Chance Foundation Fellow will receive on-the-job training in nonprofit compliance; negotiation of a wide gamut of agreements (grants, government procurement, memoranda of understanding, licenses, independent contractor agreements, teaming agreements); lobbying law and regulation; and employment law. Just as critically, the Fellow will gain experience as part of the team providing strategic advice and counsel to projects, with a particular focus on Vera’s Unlocking Potential Initiative, which works to expand access to postsecondary education in prison. The Fellow will assist with researching legal and regulatory questions confronting this national project that operates hand-in-hand with state agencies to increase educational opportunities for people in prison.
One fellowship will be awarded to a recent U.S. law school graduate. Candidates will be assessed based on their scholarship, leadership, and commitment to practicing in the field of nonprofit law. The ideal applicant will have a strong interest in the operations of nonprofit organizations and a broad-based curiosity about potentially unfamiliar legal matters, as Vera is known for its innovative and entrepreneurial approach. An interest in the substantive areas in which Vera works (including criminal justice, juvenile justice, and immigration), and in non-profit tax issues, employment law, and policy, is a plus.
Who you are:
The Clifford Chance Foundation Fellowship at Vera, generously funded by the Clifford Chance Foundation, will permit one Fellow to spend a year in residence as a full-time member of Vera’s Legal Department, working closely with Vera’s General Counsel and staff. The one-year Fellowship term will begin in September 2022 and is open to recent law graduates; law students graduating in 2022 are strongly encouraged to apply.
The Fellow will also be a member of Vera’s Unlocking Potential Initiative, which works to expand access to postsecondary education in prison.
In this role, you will:
- Assist with Legal Department work advising the organization and Board. This includes negotiation of a wide gamut of agreements (grants, government procurement, memoranda of understanding, licenses, independent contractor agreements, teaming agreements); lobbying law and regulation; and employment law. The Fellow will gain experience as part of the team providing strategic advice and counsel to projects.
- Assist with work for the Postsecondary Education team, including researching legal and regulatory questions confronting this national project that operates hand-in-hand with state agencies to increase educational opportunities for people in prison.
What qualifications do you need?
Required:
- The Clifford Chance Foundation Fellowship is open exclusively to recent graduates of accredited U.S. law schools.
- Recent (2022 or 2021) graduate of an ABA-accredited U.S. law school
- Strong writing skills
- Commitment to practicing in not-for-profit sector; experience with not-for-profits a plus
Salary- $65,000, plus excellent benefits.
To Apply
Please submit the following materials by January 17:
- A cover letter of 700-1000 words describing what you would bring to the Clifford Chance Foundation Fellowship (including relevant skills, work experience, background, and personal traits) and how the Fellowship would further your career goals. This letter should be addressed to the CCF Fellowship Committee.
- A resume.
- An official law school transcript (this should be sent directly by the applicant’s law school).
- Two letters of recommendation, sent directly from any law school adviser; law school professor; or current or former employer.
Finalists will be asked to submit a brief legal writing sample.
Transcript and letters of recommendation should be sent by mail to the address below or email to humanresources@vera.org.
All materials must be submitted by January 17th for review.
No phone calls, please. Only applicants selected for interviews will be contacted.
Online submission of resume and cover letter in PDF format is strongly preferred. Other materials (transcript and letters) may follow under separate cover.
However, if necessary, materials may be mailed or faxed to:
Clifford Chance Foundation Fellowship Committee
ATTN: People Resources
Vera Institute of Justice
34 35th Street, Suite 4-2-A
Brooklyn, NY 11232
Fax: (212) 941-9407
Please use only one method of submission (online, mail, or fax).
As a federal contractor, and in order to ensure a healthy and safe work environment, Vera Institute of Justice is requiring all employees to be fully vaccinated and provide proof of their COVID-19 vaccine before their start date. Employees who cannot receive the vaccine because of a disability/medical contraindication or sincerely-held religious belief may request an accommodation (e.g., an exemption) to this requirement.
Vera is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without unlawful discrimination based on race, color, creed, national origin, sex, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, military status, prior record of arrest or conviction, citizenship status, or current employment status.
Vera works to advance justice, particularly racial justice, in an increasingly multicultural country and globally connected world. We value diverse experiences, including with regard to educational background and justice system contact, and depend on a diverse staff to carry out our mission.
For more information about Vera, please visit www.vera.org.