Borchard Fellow

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Job location
100 W 10Th St Suite 801
Wilmington, DE 19801
United States
Organization information
Organization name: 
Community Legal Aid Society, Inc. (Delaware)
Street address: 
100 W 10Th St Suite 801
City: 
Wilmington
State: 
Delaware
ZIP: 
19801
Job type: 
Fellowship/Internship
Position Description: 

Community Legal Aid Society, Inc. (CLASI) seeks to sponsor an applicant for a Borchard Fellowship in Law and Aging. The Fellow will work with CLASI’s Public Benefits Program and Elder Law Program on a project to enhance economic security for low-income older adults in Delaware. The Fellow will be based in CLASI’s Wilmington office.
CLASI’s Public Benefits and Elder Law Programs represent individuals in a wide range of matters, including problems accessing and keeping essential safety net benefits such as Medicaid (including Home and Community-Based Services), SNAP food benefits, and SSI disability or Social Security benefits. Attorneys represent clients in administrative hearings before state and federal agencies, engage in systemic policy advocacy and litigation, and conduct community outreach.
The Fellow will focus on public benefits issues for seniors, carrying a caseload and helping to lead systemic advocacy to remove barriers older adults face in accessing critical benefits. The Fellow will also undertake community outreach to identify potential clients and help client communities understand their legal rights.
A fellowship at CLASI provides law school graduates who are interested in a public interest career the opportunity to work at a non-LSC funded legal services and Protection and Advocacy program. Since its establishment in 1946, CLASI has remained the largest non-profit public interest law firm in Delaware. CLASI is unionized and represented by Delaware Legal Aid Workers, NOLSW/UAW Local 2320. More information about CLASI can be found at www.declasi.org. CLASI pays for all expenses associated with taking the Delaware Bar Exam, including enrollment in a bar preparation course.
Ideal candidates will be law students in their third year or recent graduates. Candidates must have a commitment to social justice and an interest in working directly with older adults, particularly those who are vulnerable due to socioeconomic status, disability, and/or limited English proficiency. CLASI strongly encourages interested candidates with diverse backgrounds to apply, including people of color, women, people who identify as LGBTQ, veterans, people with disabilities, and persons from other underrepresented groups. CLASI is an equal opportunity employer and committed to building a culturally diverse and inclusive workplace.
Review of applications will begin immediately, so applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. CLASI will work with the selected candidate to prepare a project proposal that will be submitted to the Borchard Foundation in April 2021. The fellowship, if awarded, would begin in the fall of 2021. Information about the Borchard Fellowship can be found at https://borchardcla.org/fellowships/application-process.
To apply, please submit the following by email to Jennifer Kye, Supervising Attorney, at [email protected].
1) Cover letter describing your interest in the organization and the fellowship, as well as issues faced by CLASI’s clients
2) Resume
3) Law school transcript
4) Legal writing sample between 5-10 pages
5) Three professional references

Requirements: 

Law School Graduate no later than May 2021
Demonstrated commitment to public interest law, including the challenges CLASI's clients face.

To apply: 

To apply, please submit the following by email to Jennifer Kye, Supervising Attorney, at [email protected].
1) Cover letter describing your interest in the organization and the fellowship, as well as issues faced by CLASI’s clients
2) Resume
3) Law school transcript
4) Legal writing sample between 5-10 pages
5) Three professional references

Notes: 
Equal Opportunity Employer
Submission deadline: 
Wednesday, February 10, 2021