YALE LAW SCHOOL ROBERT M. COVER CLINICAL FELLOWSHIP

YALE LAW SCHOOL ROBERT M. COVER CLINICAL FELLOWSHIP

 Worker & Immigrant Rights Advocacy Clinic

 Yale Law School seeks applications for the Robert M. Cover Clinical Fellowship in the Worker & Immigrant Rights Advocacy Clinic (WIRAC) of the Jerome N. Frank Legal Services Organization, within Yale Law School’s clinical program. This is a two-year position, with a third-year option, beginning on or about July 1, 2022, designed for lawyers with at least three years of practice who are considering a career in law school teaching.

WIRAC is a year-long, in-house clinic whose students represent immigrants, workers, and their organizations in litigation under labor and employment, immigration, civil rights, and administrative laws; state and local legislative advocacy; and other non-litigation matters.  Illustrative cases include:

• Class action habeas litigation challenging the prolonged immigration detention of noncitizens with certain criminal convictions;

• Class action litigation on behalf of immigrant youth challenging the termination of DACA;

• Representation in federal court under, inter alia, the Federal Tort Claims Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 of a noncitizen with disabilities who was mistreated while in ICE custody;

• Representation in immigration court, before the Board of Immigration Appeals, and in federal court on behalf of individuals resisting removal;

• Representation in federal court and before the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities of a large group of workers in a Connecticut manufacturing facility on claims of wage theft and racial discrimination;

• Representation of a Connecticut interfaith organization in legislative advocacy to advance “clean slate” legislation to automatically expunge criminal records for residents returning from incarceration; and

• Representation of local labor unions and grassroots worker organizations in a wide range of strategies to enforce collective bargaining agreements, negotiate contracts, organize new workers, and protect the rights of union members under federal and state labor, employment, and health & safety laws.

The Fellow’s responsibilities include the representation of WIRAC clients, supervision of students, assistance in designing and teaching the weekly WIRAC seminar, and work on one’s own scholarship.  In addition, the Fellow may be asked to co-teach a section of a seven-week fall program for first-year students, Introduction to Legal Analysis and Writing.  Candidates must be prepared to apply for admission to the Connecticut bar.  (Candidates may qualify for admission without examination.)  All work will be conducted with the support of the clinical faculty, and will focus on providing legal assistance to low-income and civil rights clients and organizations.  The principal supervisors for the position will be Professors Muneer Ahmad, Marisol Orihuela, and Michael Wishnie.

 The Jerome N. Frank Legal Services Organization is committed to building a culturally diverse and pluralistic faculty and staff committed to teaching and working in a multicultural environment.  Candidates must be able to work both independently and as part of a team, and must possess strong written and oral communication skills.  Experience in creative and community-driven advocacy is a strong plus.  Annual salary is $75,000-80,000.  Fellows receive health benefits and access to university facilities.  Email a resume, cover letter, writing sample, law school transcript, and names, addresses and telephone numbers of three references by March 7, 2022 (early applications encouraged) to: Jesus Briones, Senior Administrative Assistant, jesus.briones@yale.edu.  Questions may also be directed to Mr. Briones via email or by phone, (203) 432-4800.

KJ