Legal Fellow

Who we are:

The Vera Institute of Justice is powered by hundreds of advocates, researchers, and policy experts working to transform the criminal legal and immigration systems until they’re fair for all. Founded in 1961 to advocate for alternatives to money bail in New York City, Vera is now a national organization that partners with impacted communities and government leaders for change. We develop just, antiracist solutions so that money doesn’t determine freedom; fewer people are in jails, prisons, and immigration detention; and everyone is treated with dignity. For more information, visit vera.org.

Vera has a staff of 224 people, is headquartered in Brooklyn, New York and has offices in Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, and New Orleans. We are an equal opportunity employer with a commitment to diversity in the workplace. We expect our staff to embody respect, independence, collaboration, commitment, anti-racism, and equity—both in our outward-facing work and the internal culture of our workplace. We value a range of experiences in people’s educational backgrounds and encourage people who have been directly impacted by the criminal justice system to apply.

Who you are:

Vera’s Legal Department provides comprehensive in-house legal services to the organization, including each of its administrative departments, initiatives, and 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 early September 2025 and is open to recent law graduates; law students graduating in 2025 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, as well as having the opportunity to work directly with a Vera initiative.

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.

Qualifications:

The Clifford Chance Foundation Fellowship is open exclusively to recent graduates of accredited U.S. law schools.

Compensation:

$70,000, plus excellent benefits.

Location:

Please note this role will report to our Brooklyn, NYoffice. Vera fellows adhere to a hybrid schedule and are in-office on an alternating schedule that generally amounts to 10 days per month.

To Apply:

Please submit the following materials by January 1:

• 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 [email protected]. All application materials must be submitted by January 8 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.

Applications may also be faxed to:

ATTN: People Resources / Clifford Chance Foundation Fellow

Vera Institute of Justice

34 35th St, Suite 4-2A, Brooklyn, NY 11232

Fax: (212) 941-9407

Please use only one method (online, mail or fax) of submission.

No phone calls, please. Only applicants selected for interviews will be contacted.

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, current employment status, or caregiver 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