2027–29 Constitutional Litigation Fellowship

AU; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 84,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental & Vision

401(k) with match

Commuter subsidy

Job summary

Americans United for Separation of Church and State seeks a two-year Constitutional Litigation Fellow (Aug./Sep. 2027–Aug./Sep. 2029) committed to civil rights and First Amendment protections.

The Fellow will litigate church-state issues, defend rights of women, LGBTQ+ people, and minorities, and work remotely with periodic in-person support in DC. Fellows participate in all stages of litigation, including briefs, pleadings, depositions, and oral arguments, under experienced litigators’

Qualifications

• Third-year law students, recent law-school graduates, and judicial clerks who are committed to advancing the public interest and the separation of religion and government are encouraged to apply.
• Americans United values diversity and invites applications from all backgrounds and beliefs.
• The organization regularly handles novel constitutional First Amendment issues in federal and state courts.

Responsibilities

• Fellows participate in all aspects of litigation before trial and appellate courts.
• Fellows draft briefs, pleadings, and discovery, interview witnesses, and assist with new cases.
• Under supervision, Fellows receive intensive training in trial and appellate litigation.

Skills

Civil rights

First Amendment

Impact litigation

Legal research

Education

Law degree or JD student

Job description

Americans United for Separation of Church and State is seeking a two-year (Aug./Sep. 2027–Aug./Sep. 2029) Constitutional Litigation Fellow who is committed to civil rights, impact litigation, and upholding core First Amendment protections. You will fight to keep religion out of government—including through challenges to religious coercion in public schools, religious proselytization by governmental officials, and public funding of religious institutions. And your work will include defending the rights of women, LGBTQ+ people, and racial and religious minorities against religion-based discrimination and oppression.

About Americans United.

Americans United is a nonpartisan educational and advocacy organization dedicated to advancing the constitutional principle of church-state separation as the only way to ensure freedom of religion, including the right to believe or not believe, for all of us. Founded in 1947, Americans United is a diverse and dynamic organization composed of people from allwalks of life: lawyers and lobbyists, students and activists, religiousleadersand impassioned Americans. Americans United includes people of faith and people whodon’tprofess anyparticular faith.

For nearly 80 years, we have litigated church-state issues in federal and state courts across the country, with a substantial practice before the federal courts of appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court. Most of our cases involve novel, cutting-edge First Amendment and other constitutional issues. In recent years, for example, we have litigated lawsuits and submitted amicus briefs challenging or opposing:

• Coercive religious practices inthe publicschools.
• Proselytizing by Trump-Vance Administration officials.
• Public fundingofreligious education.
• Religion-based refusals by businesses, foster-care agencies, and government officials to provide services to LGBTQ+people and religious minorities.
• Religion-based efforts to deprivepeopleof access to abortion and contraceptives.
• Race-based and sex-based employment discrimination by religious employers.

For more information about Americans United’s legal program, please visit our website at www.au.org.

Duties and responsibilities.

Fellows participate in all aspects of litigation before trial and appellate courts. Fellows write briefs, draft pleadings and discovery, work with clients, interview witnesses, participate in settlement negotiations, screen incoming complaints, and assist with development of new cases. Fellows may also have opportunities to take and defend depositions, conduct in-court examinations of witnesses, take part in oral arguments, and do public speaking.

Under the close supervision of our experienced litigators, Fellows receive the intensive training in trial and appellate litigation needed to become the next generation of leading impact litigators. Fellows regularly go on to serve as judicial clerks or work for public-interest organizations, government, academia, or plaintiffs’-side civil-rights firms.

Eligibility and requirements.

Third-year law students, recent law-school graduates, and judicial clerks who are committed to advancing the public interest and the separation of religion and government are encouraged to apply. Americans United includes and welcomes people of all genders, races, ethnicities, religions and beliefs, sexual orientations, gender identities, ages, socioeconomic backgrounds, and abilities. Because we work on a wide variety of issues and with many different communities, we value what diversity and diverse perspectives bring to our work.

Research shows candidates from marginalized groups are less likely to apply for positions when theydon’tmeet 100% ofthelisted requirements; please consider applying even if youdon’tmatch 100% of these criteria.

Equal opportunity employer.

Americans United is an equal opportunity employer. We consider applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, marital or veteran status, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected status. If you need an accommodation for a disability to apply to this position, please let us know by emailing [e-mail].

Compensation.

$83,640–$109,777.50 annually, depending on experience and location. Americans United’s compensation system is described in detail at bit.ly/AuscsCareers; we expect that an annual increase to the posted pay ranges will occur prior to the start of the fellowship. Americans United offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes employer-paid premiums for health care, dental, vision, life insurance, short-term disability, long-term disability, 401(k) with match, and commuter subsidy.

Work location.

Fellows can work remotely from anywhere in the following fifteen states: California, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Montana, New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Fellows can also work remotely in Washington, D.C. or locally in our Washington, D.C. office. Occasional in-person attendance at events and meetings in Washington, D.C. will be required, most likely several times per year.

Working conditions and physical requirements.

This position primarily involves working from a home office and/or professional office environment. The position requires routinely using standard office equipment such as computers, phones, and video-conferencing tools. It also requires the ability to remain in a stationary position for extended periods, communicate effectively, and occasionally move about within the workspace.

Position classification.

This is a full-time, exempt position. This position is within a union; it is included in the bargaining unit represented by AU Collective in connection with SEIU Local 500.

Deadline

Open until filled. We encourage you to apply by September 13, 2026.