2026-2027 Legal Fellowship Sponsorship Proposal Invitation

Children's Law Center • New York, NY

4d

About The Position

The Children’s Law Center (CLC) is seeking rising third-year law students, judicial clerks, and recent law graduates to sponsor for externally-funded public interest fellowships. The fellowship project would focus on representing children under 21 in New York City Family Courts across Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island. Responsibilities include conducting investigations, legal research and writing, and making policy recommendations to support clients and their families. CLC represents children in various proceedings including custody, visitation, guardianship, paternity, family offense, and child protective cases.

Requirements

• J.D. or expected J.D. by the Fall of 2027
• Demonstrated interest in and commitment to public interest law and serving children from diverse backgrounds, including from low-income communities
• Strong legal practice and communication skills, commitment to ethical and professional rules of conduct, and familiarity with dispute resolution techniques
• Time management skills to ensure quality while serving a diverse and demanding caseload by working efficiently and meeting deadlines
• Respect for, and an ability to work with, diverse populations

Nice To Haves

• Representing LGBTQ+ youth whose family placements have been disrupted
• Representing young people struggling with mental health challenges
• Representing children who have experienced domestic violence/sexual abuse in the home
• Representing children seeking Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) classification in Family Court
• Representing children and teens in proceedings related to their education, such as suspension hearings and impartial due process hearings for students with IEPs

Responsibilities

• Effectively represent children as subjects or parties in assigned cases and serve as a strong advocate for them in a manner consistent with the law and rules governing the conduct of attorneys in general and attorneys for children in particular.
• Work both independently and cooperatively with other staff as a team.
• Maintain calendar and files in compliance with the office’s best practices expectations.
• Perform such other appropriate responsibilities as assigned.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Associate degree