Clifford Chance Foundation Fellow, Legal
About The Position
Vera's Legal Department provides comprehensive in-house legal services to the organization, including each of its administrative departments, initiatives, and projects, and to its Board of Trustees. The Clifford Chance Foundation Fellowship at Vera, generously funded by the Clifford Chance Foundation, will permit one Fellow to spend a year in residence as a full-time member of Vera’s Legal Department, working closely with Vera’s Chief Legal Officer and staff. The one-year Fellowship term will begin in early September 2026 and is open to recent law graduates; law students graduating in 2026 are strongly encouraged to apply. About the Fellowship: The Clifford Chance Foundation Fellow will be an integral part of the team providing comprehensive in-house legal services to the organization, as well as having the opportunity to work directly with a Vera initiative. Over the course of the year, the Clifford Chance Foundation Fellow will receive on-the-job training in nonprofit compliance; negotiation of a wide gamut of agreements (grants, government procurement, memoranda of understanding, licenses, independent contractor agreements, teaming agreements); lobbying law and regulation; and employment law. Just as critically, the Fellow will gain experience as part of the team providing strategic advice and counsel to projects, with a particular focus on Vera’s Opening Doors and Unlocking Potential initiatives, which works to expand access to quality education for those incarcerated, and housing and employment for those with conviction histories. The Fellow will assist with researching legal and regulatory questions confronting this national project that operates hand-in-hand with state agencies to increase educational opportunities for people in prison. One fellowship will be awarded to a recent U.S. law school graduate. Candidates will be assessed based on their scholarship, leadership, and commitment to practicing in the field of nonprofit law. The ideal applicant will have a strong interest in the operations of nonprofit organizations and a broad-based curiosity about potentially unfamiliar legal matters, as Vera is known for its innovative and entrepreneurial approach. An interest in the substantive areas in which Vera works (including criminal justice, juvenile justice, and immigration), and in non-profit tax issues, employment law, and policy, is a plus.
Requirements
- The Clifford Chance Foundation Fellowship is open exclusively to recent graduates of accredited U.S. law schools.
Nice To Haves
- An interest in the substantive areas in which Vera works (including criminal justice, juvenile justice, and immigration), and in non-profit tax issues, employment law, and policy, is a plus.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Intern
Education Level
Ph.D. or professional degree
Number of Employees
251-500 employees
