Free Speech For People is seeking a post-graduate legal fellow (either a current 3L, judicial clerk, or public interest fellow at another public interest organization), preferably with constitutional law, social justice, and/or election law experience, to join a cutting-edge non-profit fighting for democracy for a one-year fully-funded legal fellowship with potential, contingent on funding, to extend.

Free Speech For People, a national nonpartisan nonprofit organization, was founded on the day of the Supreme Court’s Citizens United v. FEC decision in January 2010. We’ve been working since then on a multi-part strategy to defend our Constitution and to reclaim our democracy.

Our recent projects include the 14Point3 litigation and grassroots advocacy campaign under the Fourteenth Amendment’s Insurrectionist Disqualification Clause against elected officials (including former President Donald Trump, Representatives Marjorie Taylor Greene, Madison Cawthorn, and others) involved in the January 6, 2021 insurrection; litigation challenging illegal intimidation of voters, voter suppression laws, and insecure voting systems; litigation challenging the Federal Election Commission’s failure to investigate the Russian government and Trump campaign for coordinated spending in the 2016 election; developing, lobbying for, and defending in court cutting-edge legislation to fight political spending by corporations with significant foreign investment and to eliminate super PACs; and developing and lobbying for comprehensive model legislation to hold social media companies accountable when they engage in targeted amplification of disinformation and threats of violence on their platforms.

Most of our projects involve bold new legal approaches rather than routine application of well-established law and, while we’re a small organization, we punch well above our weight.

(For a complete list of our issues and projects, visit our web site.)

Job duties

We are seeking a public interest-minded legal fellow to fight for democracy, starting in September 2024. Specific projects will emerge and evolve and job duties will vary over time—for example, the first few months may involve fast-pased litigation related to the 2024 election—but over the course of the year, the day-to-day will likely center on litigation (writing or assisting with briefs and/or working with outside counsel in affirmative litigation, amicus briefs, and/or defensive litigation if laws that we help pass are challenged in court), legislation (drafting; grassroots and direct lobbying; testifying; and organizing supportive testimony), and legal support for the organization’s advocacy before administrative agencies. Job duties may also include occasional media interviews; public speaking; writing op-eds; organizing panels, symposia, or similar events; and working with our campaign and communications teams on our grassroots campaigns.

The fellow will report to Free Speech For People’s Legal Director (Ron Fein). 

Qualifications

• J.D. and application for membership pending in a state bar
• Dedication to public interest work and strong intrinsic motivation
• Demonstrated ability to work on novel, intellectually complex legal issues
• Strong written and oral advocacy skills
• Ability to work independently in a nonprofit environment
• Preferred, but not required: Coursework and/or experience in constitutional law, social justice, and/or election law

Location: Free Speech For People’s Legal Advocacy office is in Newton, MA, just outside Boston. The fellowship work may be performed remotely or in the Newton office, or a hybrid arrangement. The position may require very occasional travel to locations around the country

Benefits and Salary: In addition to a competitive salary of $75K annually, a comprehensive benefits plan is offered, including 100% employer paid dental, vision, and medical health coverage.

Application instructions: Send a cover letter, resume, writing sample that demonstrates your ability to address intellectually complex issues, and law school transcript to Rosemary Hamington at:

attorney (at) freespeechforpeople (dot) org.

Free Speech For People is an affirmative action employer and recruits, employs, retains, and promotes persons in a manner that does not discriminate against any person because of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, veteran status, or physical or mental ability which is unrelated to job performance.