Appellate Fellow - Civil Rights Appeals

State of California; California (MO); On-site; USD 60,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, Vision, Dental, Retirement

Job summary

The Office of the State Public Defender (OSPD) is seeking up to two Barry P. Helft Appellate Fellows.

Ideal candidates are third-year law students with a commitment to civil rights work and excellent writing skills, prepared to engage in high-level capital and non-capital defense appellate work. Fellows are employed at will, for up to 24 months, under supervision, performing diverse appellate tasks including drafting briefs, researching precedents, and supporting systemic litigation efforts to

Qualifications

• Applicants must be in 3rd year of law school or a recent graduate with eligibility to take the California Bar.
• Commitment to public service and civil rights work in defense of marginalized Californians.
• Excellent writing skills and ability to handle high-level appellate work.

Responsibilities

• Provide high quality and effective assistance to indigent clients appealing criminal convictions.
• Draft amicus briefs or letters filed by OSPD on matters crucial to criminal law development.
• Assist in developing arguments supporting systemic litigation to address inequities in the criminal justice system.

Skills

Legal research

Legal writing

Analytical thinking

Team collaboration

Education

Juris Doctor candidate

Tools

Westlaw / LexisNexis

Job description

The Office of the State Public Defender (OSPD) is seeking up to two Barry P. Helft Appellate Fellows.

Ideal candidates are third-year law students with a commitment to civil rights work and excellent writing skills, prepared to engage in high-level capital and non-capital defense appellate work. Fellows are employed at will, for up to 24 months, under supervision, performing diverse appellate tasks including drafting briefs, researching precedents, and supporting systemic litigation efforts to