2027–29 Constitutional Litigation Fellowship
About The Position
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 all walks of life: lawyers and lobbyists, students and activists, religious leaders and impassioned Americans. Americans United includes people of faith and people who don’t profess any particular 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 in the public schools. Proselytizing by Trump-Vance Administration officials. Public funding of religious 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 deprive people of 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.
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.
- Commitment to civil rights, impact litigation, and upholding core First Amendment protections.
Nice To Haves
- Consider applying even if you don’t match 100% of these criteria.
Responsibilities
- Participate in all aspects of litigation before trial and appellate courts.
- Write briefs.
- Draft pleadings and discovery.
- Work with clients.
- Interview witnesses.
- Participate in settlement negotiations.
- Screen incoming complaints.
- Assist with development of new cases.
- Take and defend depositions.
- Conduct in-court examinations of witnesses.
- Take part in oral arguments.
- Do public speaking.
Benefits
- Employer-paid premiums for health care
- Dental
- Vision
- Life insurance
- Short-term disability
- Long-term disability
- 401(k) with match
- Commuter subsidy
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Entry Level
Education Level
No Education Listed
