Fall 2027 Fellowship Sponsorship, Disability Rights Program
About The Position
The ACLU invites rising third-year law students and law graduates to apply for a sponsorship opportunity to work with us as a Legal Fellow for up to two years. The Disability Rights Program of the National office in Washington, D.C., and San Francisco, California seeks applicants to consider for a sponsored fellowship such as Skadden, Equal Justice Works, or other public interest fellowships to begin in the fall of 2027. This is a hybrid role that has in-office requirements of two (2) days per week or eight (8) days per month. The Disability Rights Program’s mission is to achieve an America free of discrimination against people with disabilities; where people with disabilities are valued, integrated members of society who have full access to education, homes, health care, jobs, families, voting, and civic engagement. We fight to ensure that people with disabilities are no longer segregated into, and over-represented in, civil and criminal institutions such as nursing homes, psychiatric hospitals, jails, and prisons. The ACLU has fought for decades for the rights of people with disabilities—achieving key wins to stop coerced mental health treatment and unnecessary institutionalization, as well as playing a role in the drafting of the ADA. In 2012, the ACLU established the Disability Rights Project. DRP litigates and advocates to use disability rights laws to end the overrepresentation of people with disabilities in the criminal legal system, including pursuing first of its kind litigation to ensure that municipalities provide trained, non-police responders to people experiencing mental health crises. We also litigate and advocate to promote alternatives to guardianship and to secure equal access to the ballot. We also provide support to affiliates and the National office on disability rights issues that intersect with core civil liberties. While the ACLU’s Legal Department is headquartered in New York, the Disability Rights Program is housed in the San Francisco and Washington, D.C. offices, and fellowship candidates may be based in either location. We will review applications on a rolling basis, but priority consideration will be given to those who submit applications by June 01, 2026. This position is part of a collective bargaining unit. It is represented by ACLU Staff United (ASU).
Requirements
- J.D. or expected to receive a J.D. by the spring of 2027.
- Admission to practice in San Francisco, CA or Washington, D.C (dependent on work location); if not currently admitted, agreement to become admitted within one year of hire.
- Demonstrated commitment to public interest law, civil liberties, criminal justice, and racial justice.
- Willingness to work closely with Disability Rights Program through the funding application process.
- Excellent research, writing, and verbal communication skills.
- Demonstrated ability to conduct complex legal analysis and fact-finding.
- Excellent interpersonal skills and a proven ability to work independently as well as within a team.
- Self-motivated with the ability to take initiative, manage a variety of tasks and see projects through to completion.
Nice To Haves
- Fellowship projects that aim to challenge discrimination against people with disabilities in emergency response programs and services.
- Fellowship projects that aim to increase access to treatment and harm reduction services for people with substance use disorders.
- Fellowship projects that aim to challenge efforts to involuntarily treat and institutionalize people with disabilities.
- Fellowship projects that aim to challenge school policing and disciplinary practices that discriminate against students with disabilities.
- Fellowship projects that aim to use disability rights laws to challenge voter suppression and make voting more accessible to people with disabilities.
Responsibilities
- Develop and pursue a litigation and advocacy project at the intersection of disability rights and civil liberties.
- Challenge discrimination against people with disabilities in emergency response programs and services.
- Increase access to treatment and harm reduction services for people with substance use disorders.
- Challenge efforts to involuntarily treat and institutionalize people with disabilities, such as those stemming from recent executive orders that encourage involuntary commitment of unhoused disabled veterans and people with substance use disorders.
- Challenge school policing and disciplinary practices that discriminate against students with disabilities.
- Use disability rights laws to challenge voter suppression and make voting more accessible to people with disabilities.
- Work closely with DRP to craft their project proposal, and to implement their project.
- Secure external funding.
- Conduct legal research and analysis and develop theories to support new litigation projects.
- Draft legal memoranda, pleadings, affidavits, motions, and briefs.
- Interview witnesses and potential clients.
- Participate in discovery and trial practice.
- Draft and edit public education and non-litigation advocacy materials.
- Provide support and assistance to ACLU affiliates and cooperating attorneys.
- Help manage summer legal internship program and supervise student interns.
- Engage in special projects and other duties as assigned.
Benefits
- Generous paid time-off policy
- Comprehensive healthcare benefits (including medical, dental and vision coverage, parental leave, gender affirming care & fertility treatment)
- 401k plan and employer match
- Annual professional development funds, internal professional development programs and workshops
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Entry Level
Education Level
Associate degree
