FAIR Fellowship

Summary

The Foundation for Advocacy Inclusion and Resources (FAIR) was started in 2009 to promote diversity within the plaintiffs’ employment bar in California and educate the public about workplace fairness. FAIR provides educational and work opportunities to law students and new lawyers from diverse backgrounds to strengthen and enrich our league of lawyers who are passionate about employee justice and advancing the rights of workers.

The FAIR Fellowship is a unique fellowship that enables a new attorney to work full-time for two consecutive terms: nine months at Legal Aid at Work and six months at a law practice affiliated with the California Employment Lawyers Association (CELA), an organization of more than 1200 workers’ rights advocates throughout California.  FAIR will fund a Fellow with salary and benefits during the first 12 months the fellow is working at Legal Aid at Work. While at Legal Aid at Work, the FAIR Fellow is included in the bargaining unit represented by ESC Local 20.  The applicant will then be matched with a CELA affiliated firm for the last six months and be paid a salary and benefits by that entity. The CELA affiliated firm is encouraged to pay more than the minimum salary of $62,400.

The Fellow will work closely with the supervising attorney(s) of the Legal Aid at Work and a California Employment Lawyers Association (CELA) firm in all aspects of the organization’s or firm’s practice.  The work performed by the Fellow may include direct services, litigation, public education/outreach, legal research and writing, community service, or any combination of these.

FELLOWSHIP DATES: September 2024 through February 2026 (18 months)

Responsibilities

Litigation

  1. Handle all aspects of state and federal court litigation, including pre-complaint investigation, complaint drafting, motion practice, discovery, trial preparation, trial, post-trial briefing and appellate work.
  2. Participate in negotiating and executing settlement of litigation.
  3. Communicate with and advise clients about litigation matters.
  4. Keep abreast of new issues in the field of employment law, legal ethics, and all other matters necessary for the vigorous and competent representation of the client.
  5. Maintain and preserve accurate, contemporaneous records of time spent on litigation and other work performed.

Advocacy Other Than Litigation

  1. Communicate with and advise clients about pre-litigation matters.
  2. Provide individualized counseling to intake callers.

Community Work and Legal Services

  1. Conduct community outreach and education.
  2. Participate in community organizations, such as bar groups, employment rights organizations or coalitions, related to the work of the office.
  3. May represent clients at administrative law proceedings, including at the CUIAB, the EDD, the DLSE, the DFEH, the SPB, the DOL, the MSPB, and the EEOC.

Administration

  1. Participate in staff and legal meetings.
  2. Participate in staff retreats and priority-setting meetings.
  3. Participate in recruiting, screening, selection and orientation of new staff and volunteers.
  4. Supervise and mentor law students.

Requirements

  1. California Bar membership. (This requirement may be waived for a reasonable period of time to allow the Fellow to take and pass the Bar examination.)
  2. Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
  3. Excellent research and analytical skills.
  4. Strong interpersonal skills, initiative, leadership and organizational skills.
  5. Willingness and ability to travel as required.
  6. Zero to three years legal experience.
  7. Commitment to civil rights, public interest law and social justice work.
  8. Commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion principles.
  9. Ability to manage multiple projects and cases simultaneously; ability to prioritize competing deadlines.
  10. At the end of the Fellowship, the Fellow is required to write a minimum 2-5 page essay about their experience and what they learned.

Compensation

FAIR will fund a Fellow with salary and benefits during the first nine months the fellow is working at Legal Aid at Work. While at Legal Aid at Work, the FAIR Fellow is included in the bargaining unit represented by ESC Local 20.  The applicant will then be matched with a CELA affiliated firm for the last six months and be paid a salary and benefits by that entity. The CELA affiliated firm is encouraged to pay more than the minimum salary of $62,400.

Application Process

Applicants are required to submit the following:

  1. Fellowship Application Form (CLICK HERE).
  2. Resume
  3. Unofficial Law School Transcript.
  4. Two Letters of Recommendation (preference for employers and/or clinical professors). Recommendation letters should be addressed to: FAIR Fellowship Selection Committee, 20812 Ventura Blvd., Suite 230, Woodland Hills, CA 91364. Recommendation letters can be emailed directly to: caity@fair-foundation.org
  5. Two References (references can be the same people who wrote letters of recommendation or someone else).
  6. One Writing Sample (no more than ten pages double-spaced).
  7. 500-Word Essay detailing your background, how you became committed to having a public interest career, and your interest in employment law.

All application materials must be received by Monday, October 30, 2023.  Any materials not received by October 30 will be disregarded. 

Please send all application materials to caity@fair-foundation.org. Use “FAIR Fellowship” in your subject line.