Summer Opportunity with the MacArthur Justice Center’s
Trial Litigation Program or Supreme Court and Appellate Program (Chicago, IL)
The Roderick & Solange MacArthur Justice Center (MJC) is one of the nation’s premier civil rights organizations and champions criminal justice reform through litigation, in areas that include police misconduct, rights of the accused, issues facing indigent prisoners, the death penalty, and the rights of detainees.
MJC is accepting applications from law students for summer internships in its Chicago office. Applicants interested in the Chicago office should apply specifically to the Trial Litigation Program or the Supreme Court and Appellate Program, noting which one they are applying to in bold in their cover letter.
Trial Litigation Program: Students will immerse themselves in a fast-paced civil rights trial practice, focusing on issues of police misconduct, mass imprisonment, racial injustice and criminalization of poverty. Students will draft legal briefs, research caselaw, draft discovery, participate in expert discovery and deposition preparation, and attend court hearings. Cases include:
- Systemic challenges to pretrial detention practices, including the use of cash bail
- Wrongful conviction damages suits focusing on police and prosecutorial misconduct and constitutional violations
- Prisoner rights suits, addressing denial of mental health care, sexual abuse and harassment, LGBTQI rights, and ICE/immigration detention
- Excessive force litigation, particularly police shootings, focusing on issues of Fourth Amendment liability and qualified immunity
- Parole revocation reform, seeking due process protections and appointment of counsel in the Illinois Department of Corrections
Supreme Court and Appellate Program: Students will work principally on appeals before the U.S. Supreme Court, federal circuit courts, or state courts of appeal, which raise important issues related to civil rights and the criminal justice system. Students will have the opportunity to make a substantial contribution to the ongoing appellate cases, including performing research and drafting legal analysis for briefs that will be filed in federal court. Students will gain exposure to the broader appellate process, which may include participation in client interaction and strategic decision-making, analysis of factual records, and participation in moot oral arguments (depending upon the stage of their assigned matters).
Examples of issues raised in MJC appeals include:
- Unsettled questions of criminal procedure under the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Amendments (search & seizure, privilege against self-incrimination, right to a jury, right to counsel);
- Issues facing indigent prisoners, including the constitutional rights of prisoners to be free from cruel and unusual treatment by prison officials and access to courts;
- Constitutional challenges to the use of solitary confinement in the prison system;
- Police misconduct and qualified immunity
- Challenges to certain discriminatory executive actions outside of the criminal justice system, including discriminatory practices of Immigrations and Custom Enforcement and discrimination against Muslim travelers at the border.
Compensation may be available for students unable to obtain summer funding from their law schools.
Students interested in this opportunity should submit a cover letter, resume, transcript, and an unedited writing sample to Anissa Torres soon as possible at anissa.torres1@law.northwestern.edu. We will begin hiring on a rolling basis immediately.
Roderick and Solange MacArthur Justice Center in Missouri
Two-Year Juvenile Parole Fellowship
The Roderick and Solange MacArthur Justice Center (RSMJC) is accepting applications for a two-year fellowship in its Saint Louis, Missouri office. The fellowship will focus on providing critical legal assistance to juvenile offenders in connection with their applications for parole.
RSMJC is a national, non-profit law firm founded to fight unfairness in the criminal legal system through litigation at the trial, appellate, and Supreme Court levels on behalf of people directly impacted by the system. In 2019, the Missouri secured a ground-breaking victory on behalf of individuals sentenced as juveniles to life without parole. This lawsuit was filed after the newly-established parole process for those men and women revealed itself to be little more than a sham with over an 85% denial rate. Just this year a federal judge ruled that the parole process was unconstitutional, and ordered the parole board and Department of Corrections to make a number of reforms. As a result, we anticipate that dozens of individuals will be offered new parole hearings over the next two years.
The goal of this fellowship is to provide legal counsel to those class members as they prepare for their parole reviews. The fellow’s responsibilities will include preparing class members for parole hearings, conducting mitigation investigations, and analyzing and presenting evidence in support of release to the parole board on behalf of class members.
Qualifications/Expectations:
- License to practice in the State of Missouri required;
- Energetic self-starter with a passion for criminal justice reform;
- Strong research, writing, and organizational skills;
- Ability to work independently;
- Strong attention to detail and commitment to completing tasks quickly and thoroughly;
- Strong interpersonal skills and ability to engage with clients and others in the community;
- Ability to investigate facts and effectively communicate findings to litigation team;
- Dedication to zealous advocacy and building client-centered relationships; and
- Strong written and oral communication skills.
- Prior experience working on parole and/or with justice-system involved adults and juveniles a plus.
- Some travel within Missouri required.
- Due to the immediate need to fill this position by a lawyer already licensed in Missouri, current law students will not be considered.
Location: Saint Louis, Missouri.
Salary: $50,000 annually, plus benefits.
Anticipated start date: November 1, 2019.
Deadline: Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until hiring complete. However, preference will be given to those who apply before September 30, 2019. To apply, please submit a cover letter and resume by email to admin-stl@macarthurjustice.org, with the subject line “Juvenile Parole Fellowship Application.”
RSMJC is committed to equity and equal opportunity and does not discriminate on the basis of gender, disability, age, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, race or ethnicity.
For more information about our office, visit our website: https://www.macarthurjustice.org/missouri/
Roderick and Solange MacArthur Justice Center in Missouri
Part-Time Law Clerk—Paid Position
The Roderick and Solange MacArthur Justice Center (RSMJC) is accepting applications for parttime law clerks in its Saint Louis, Missouri office, for both Fall 2019 and Spring 2020 semesters. This is a paid position, although law clerks may, alternatively, receive credit for their work if their schools offer such programs.
RSMJC is a national, non-profit law firm founded to fight unfairness in the criminal legal system through litigation at the trial, appellate, and Supreme Court levels on behalf of people directly impacted by the system. The Missouri office, working in collaboration with four other RSMJC offices, seeks to advance criminal and racial justice in the Midwest generally, and the St. Louis region in particular, through civil litigation initiatives. To date, our work has included problematic municipal court practices, protecting the rights of protestors, demanding appropriate medical care for inmates, fighting death sentences, and calling for constitutionally-compliant parole grant and revocation hearings. For more information about our new office, visit our website: https://www.macarthurjustice.org/missouri/.
Law clerks perform a range of duties to support the office’s trial work, advocacy, and outreach. Such tasks may include assisting with client intake in jails, prisons, and the community, field investigations, legal research, discovery support, and evidence preparation.
Qualifications/Expectations:
- JD student in good standing—prefer advanced standing students but will consider 1Ls;
- Energetic self-starter with a passion for criminal justice reform and a desire to effectuate change in the St. Louis region;
- Strong research, writing, and organizational skills;
- Ability to follow-through on assignments independently;
- Maturity and flexibility around changing priorities and deadlines as needed;
- Strong attention to detail and commitment to completing tasks quickly and thoroughly;
- Strong interpersonal skills and ability to engage with clients and others in the community;
- Ability to investigate facts and effectively communicate findings to litigation team;
- Dedication to zealous advocacy and building client-centered relationships;
- Strong written and oral communication skills;
- Experience with computer systems and databases; and
- Meticulous record and time keeping skills.
- Prior experience working on social justice campaigns and/or with justice-system involved adults and juveniles a plus.
Location: Saint Louis, Missouri
Deadline: Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until hiring complete. To apply, please submit a cover letter and resume by e-mail to admin-stl@macarthurjustice.org, with the subject line “Law Clerk Application.”
RSMJC is committed to equity and equal opportunity and does not discriminate on the basis of gender, disability, age, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, race or ethnicity.
Summer Opportunity with the MacArthur Justice Center’s
Supreme Court & Appellate Program (Washington, D.C.)
The Roderick & Solange MacArthur Justice Center’s Supreme Court & Appellate Program is accepting applications from students who are interested in spending the summer working on appellate litigation and are passionate about criminal justice issues.
Students will work from the organization’s Washington, D.C. office. Students will work principally on appeals before the U.S. Supreme Court, federal circuit courts, or state courts of appeal, which raise important issues related to civil rights and the criminal justice system. Students will also likely be involved in trial court litigation over the summer. Students will have the opportunity to make a substantial contribution to the office’s ongoing appellate cases, including performing research and drafting legal analysis for briefs that will be filed in federal court. Students will gain exposure to the broader appellate process, which may include participation in client interaction and strategic decision-making, analysis of factual records, and participation in moot oral arguments (depending upon the stage of their assigned matters).
MJC is one of the nation’s premier civil rights organizations and champions criminal justice reform through litigation, in areas that include police misconduct, rights of the accused, issues facing indigent prisoners, the death penalty, and the rights of detainees. The organization’s Supreme Court & Appellate Program and Washington, D.C. office focus specifically on appellate litigation as a vehicle for achieving change in these areas. Examples of issues raised in MJC appeals include:
- Unsettled questions of criminal procedure under the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Amendments (search & seizure, privilege against self-incrimination, right to a jury, right to counsel);
- Issues facing indigent prisoners, including the constitutional rights of prisoners to be free from cruel and unusual treatment by prison officials and access to courts;
- Constitutional challenges to the use of solitary confinement in the prison system;
- Challenges to certain discriminatory executive actions outside of the criminal justice system, including discriminatory practices of Immigrations and Custom Enforcement and discrimination against Muslim travelers at the border.
Compensation may be available for students unable to obtain summer funding from their law schools.
Students interested in this opportunity should submit a cover letter, resume, transcript, and an unedited writing sample to dc@macarthurjustice.org as soon as possible. We will begin hiring on a rolling basis immediately.