Program Description:
For many years, Columbia Legal Services has represented some of the most marginalized people in our community, and we use every legal tool available on their behalf. Through impact litigation, policy reform, and innovative partnerships, our lawyers and staff work in furtherance of our mission. We share a deep commitment to serve and advocate alongside our clients as we seek justice together. Our vision of justice: when people have the necessary tools and opportunity to achieve social and economic justice, a more equitable and inclusive society is possible. The ideal candidate for any position at Columbia Legal Services will be able to articulate their role in the achievement of that vision.
*Learn about our work in the documentary link here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6dNGCMnzqM
Legal Fellowship: Advancing Farm Worker Rights & Food Justice
Columbia Legal Services invites current second-year, rising third-year law students and recent law graduates to apply for a two-year post-graduate fellowship focused on the intersection of farm worker rights and food justice. Help develop a compelling fellowship project whose goals must create pathways out of poverty and opportunity for some of the most vulnerable working families in the country. Learn about the transformative impact Columbia Legal Services advocacy has in bearing witness to the conditions of agricultural labor and advancing justice on the frontlines of rural America, and in an industry which remains one of the most dangerous to farm workers’ health, and the human costs of such food production unknown to consumers.
As part of the Working Families Project, the legal fellowship will be located in the Yakima Valley, the state’s leading agricultural county, and an area which yields the most diverse set of crops and constitutes one of the nation’s most profitable agricultural producing regions. In contrast, the farm workers who labor the fields of the Yakima Valley do so with the goal of working to advance out of poverty and yet endure a myriad of unmet civil legal needs.
The Working Families Project aims to address injustice against workers who are denied basic rights and face persistent barriers to economic opportunity. Our vision for the future is that all workers in Washington will one day be able to provide for themselves and their families, are treated with dignity, and are free from discrimination.
Fellowship Development & Identification of National, Law School, and Fellowship Programs
The legal fellow will help develop the fellowship issue(s), legal strategy, and goals. Utilizing the tools of broad based litigation, policy work (e.g., legislation, agency rule-making), and innovative community education methods, Columbia Legal Services aims to provide the ideal candidate with a multi-forum legal advocacy experience.
CLS will serve as a host program for the fellow, and collaborate in the development of a project proposal for specific funding organizations, including Equal Justice Works, Soros, Skadden Fellowship Foundation, and for law school public interest fellowships. CLS will actively partner with the prospective fellow to raise fellowship funds. The fellowship project should address a systemic issue for farm workers in the areas of civil rights, education, employment, environmental or food justice, or health care.
• Bilingual skills in Spanish/English are required.
• Ability to analyze complex problems and develop creative, practical systemic solutions.
• Excellent written and oral communication, research, negotiation, and analytical skills; superior attention to detail.
• Willingness to work well independently and on a team, prioritize responsibilities, and meet deadlines on time-sensitive projects.
• Cultural competence; experience working with low-income client communities, or immigrant and indigenous populations a plus.
This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee.
Applicants must submit a resume and short letter of interest to [email protected] by June 10, 2016. Please note that due to the volume of applications received, CLS is unable to respond to every application. CLS will contact you if we decide to pursue your application. If e-mailed, please make Legal Fellowship Sponsorship Opportunity your subject line. Please send your letter of interest and resume to:
Trisa Kern, Director of Program Administration
Columbia Legal Services
101 Yesler Way Suite 300
Seattle, Washington, 98104
[email protected]