CORNELL LAW SCHOOL is hiring for a two-year fellowship sponsored by First Presbyterian and First Baptist Churches of Cooperstown designed to foster child and youth security through the provision of immigration and family legal services.

The selected fellow will be based in the First Presbyterian Church and First Baptist Church of Cooperstown, working for the Cornell Law School Farmworker Legal Assistance Clinic, a clinical course in which law students and attorneys handle immigration and employment matters on behalf of farmworkers in the region. The Farmworker Clinic also works on research and writing projects with civil rights, environmental protection, and farmworker rights organizations, and sometimes offers brief advice and referral outreach sessions in farmworker communities.

The Legal Fellow will:

• Work closely with the Clinic Supervisor, conduct outreach to community partners and develop a needs assessment and immigration access to justice plan for undocumented children and youth living and working on farms and in other settings in Otsego and surrounding counties.

• Represent selected clients in Immigration Court and before U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

• Represent selected clients in family court in Special Immigrant Juvenile Status cases.

• Provide screening, intake, brief legal advice and referral services.

• Educate the community on the impact of evolving immigration law and policy.

• Engage, train, and mentor pro bono attorneys to provide legal assistance to immigrants and their families.

• Develop resources for the community to identify pro bono attorneys.

• Develop pro se resources for community members.

• Supervise volunteer law students, undergraduate interns, and church volunteers, as appropriate and helpful for the project.

• A demonstrated commitment to public interest work and strong desire to assist indigent clients.

• Strong legal, writing, communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills.

• The ability to work collaboratively in a variety of contexts, and to share an office.

• Ability and willingness to make frequent drives and stay overnight as needed for casework and/or training and in-person meetings onsite at Cornell.

• Prior experience in managing independent projects or assignments.

• Law school clinic, externship, summer or other relevant practice experience a plus. 

• Proficiency in Spanish preferred, willingness to recruit and work with interpreters required.

• The ability to undergo and pass a New York State child protective services background clearance, and routine child safety background checks to qualify for an office on the First Presbyterian and First Baptist church campuses.

• Those with immigration law and/or family law experience strongly encouraged to apply.

Founded in 1887, Cornell Law School is a top-tier law school, currently ranked 13th by U.S. News & World Report. We offer a 3-year JD program for about 200 students per class, a one-year LLM program for about 90 students from countries throughout the world, and a doctoral (JSD) program for about 2-3 new students per year. Cornell Law School has 41 tenured and tenure-track faculty, including 20 with chaired faculty positions; and 15 clinical professors in the legal research and writing program and in clinics at the local, national, and international level. Our faculty is consistently ranked among the top in the country for scholarly productivity and influence, and has pre-eminence in many areas, including quantitative and qualitative empirical legal studies, international and comparative law, and robust doctrinal scholarship in core fields. Our school is committed to being recognized as the leader among law schools at combining inspiring theoretical, doctrinal, and experiential teaching with cutting-edge scholarship in a supportive, intellectually rich community, so that our graduates can achieve excellence in all facets of the legal profession.

This is a full-time position for a period of two-years and is benefits eligible. It is an in-person position working from Cooperstown, NY. The start date is flexible, but August 2021 is preferred. Cornell Law School will also provide the fellow with position related travel reimbursement and bar dues, as well as opportunities to participate in national substantive training on immigration law legal issues and in a variety of local and regional skills based and substantive trainings.

Qualifications:

The ideal candidate will have the following:

The selected candidate must either be admitted to the practice of law in New York, prepared to take the New York bar exam prior to beginning the Fellowship, or be admitted on written motion after hiring.

Cornell University embraces diversity and seeks candidates who will contribute to a climate that supports students, faculty and staff of all identities and backgrounds. We strongly encourage individuals from underrepresented and/or marginalized identities to apply.

To Apply:

Please submit a cover letter, curriculum vitae, three references, and other significant supporting materials to https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/18730. To ensure maximum consideration, please submit all application materials by June 25, 2021. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, with priority given to early applicants.

Questions may be referred to Liz Flint (liz.flint@cornell.edu).

About Us:

Cornell University is an innovative Ivy League university and a great place to work. Our inclusive community of scholars, students and staff impart an uncommon sense of larger purpose and contribute creative ideas to further the university's mission of teaching, discovery and engagement. Located in Ithaca, NY, Cornell's far-flung global presence includes the medical college's campuses on the Upper east Side of Manhattan and Doha, Qatar, as well as the new Cornell Tech campus to be built on Roosevelt Island in the heart of New York City. We offer a rich array of services, programs and benefits to help employees advance in their career and enhance the quality of personal life, including: employee wellness, workshops, childcare and adoption assistance, parental leave, flexible work options.

Diversity and Inclusion are a part of Cornell University’s heritage. We are a recognized employer and educator valuing AA/EEO, Protected Veterans and Individuals with Disabilities. We also recognize a lawful preference in employment practices for Native Americans living on or near Indian reservations. Cornell University is an innovative Ivy League university and a great place to work. Our inclusive community of scholars, students, and staff impart an uncommon sense of larger purpose, and contribute creative ideas to further the university's mission of teaching, discovery, and engagement.