The Institute for Public Representation at Georgetown Law is seeking applicants for a Graduate Fellowship in the Communications and Technology Law Clinic. The Fellow will have substantial responsibility on high profile, cutting edge cases on behalf of public interest clients, supervise and teach law students, and work closely with faculty mentors. The two-year fellowship starts in August 2016. Applications are due no later than January 15, 2016.

The Communications and Technology Law Clinic is the country’s oldest and most respected legal organization representing the public interest in communications law and policy. Formerly known as the Citizens Communications Center, and later the First Amendment and Media Clinic, the new name reflects the expansion of our docket to include privacy, consumer protection, and free speech issues arising in a world where broadband, mobile services, and other new technologies are competing with traditional broadcast, cable, and telephone services. The Communications and Technology Law Clinic is part of the Institute for Public Representation, a clinical program that also practices public interest law in the areas of environmental justice, civil rights, and voting rights.

The Communications and Technology Law Clinic works to foster a media environment that is open and diverse as well as responsive to the needs of the public, especially segments of the public that have been traditionally underserved. Our practice is primarily before the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and the federal appellate courts. We provide pro bono legal representation to organizations concerned with media reform, civil rights, privacy, children’s welfare, consumer protection, campaign reform, and other public policy issues. Some recent projects include:

• filing a brief in the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit supporting lower telephone rates for prisoners;
• filing complaints at the FCC against television stations that fail to disclose the true identity of the sponsors of political ads;
• filing complaints at the FTC concerning children’s websites and apps that violate laws protecting children’s online privacy;
• advocating before the FCC and Court of Appeals for increased ownership of broadcast stations by women and people of color; and
• participating in a rulemaking proceeding at the FCC to foster universal service and reduce the “digital divide” by including broadband service in subsidy programs for low-income households.

For more information about our cases, visit our website and blog, http://www.law.georgetown.edu/academics/academic-programs/clinical-programs/our- clinics/ipr/index.cfm and instituteforpublicrepresentation.org

The Communications and Technology Law Clinic has two Fellows serving staggered two year terms. The Fellows work closely with the two faculty members -- Professor Angela Campbell and Benton Senior Counselor Andrew Jay Schwartzman. During the Fall 2016 semester, Visiting Professor Laura Moy will direct the clinic while Professor Campbell is on sabbatical.

The Fellows are given a great deal of responsibility for the case work. They work directly with client organizations and coalitions to develop strategy, meet with Commissioners, agency staff, and Congressional staff, and draft briefs, comments, and other legal documents. The Fellows get to experience first-hand the interplay between Congress, federal agencies, and federal courts in developing communications and technology policy.

An important part of the Fellows’ job is to supervise the day-to-day work of three to four second and third year law students. They spend much of their time teaching students in a one-on-one setting. They help students develop a research plan, review and comment on drafts, and prepare students for meetings and oral presentations. Fellows also take an active role in planning and teaching the classroom components of the clinic. Fellows will receive training in clinical teaching at an orientation and in classes with Fellows from other Georgetown Law Clinics. Fellows receive an LL.M in Advocacy upon successful completion of their two-year fellowship.

Qualifications

Applicants must have graduated from law school and be admitted to the District of Columbia Bar or another state bar. Preference will be given to applicants with significant experience as practicing lawyers or judicial clerks. We seek applicants who demonstrate

• interest and experience in media, telecommunications, privacy, freedom of speech, or related legal fields;
• strong analytical and communication skills, both oral and written;
• experience teaching or supervising legal work and an interest in teaching law students in a clinical setting; and
• a commitment to serving the public interest.

Pay and Other Benefits

The Fellowship pays an annual stipend of at least $53,500, and includes group health insurance, unlimited free access to a state-of-art, on-site fitness center, and other benefits. The fellowship starts in August 2016 and ends in August 2018.

How to apply?

Persons interested in applying should submit a

• resume;
• law school transcript;
• list of references, including contact information;
• personal statement (not longer than two pages, double-spaced) setting forth the reasons for seeking the fellowship position; and
• a recent legal writing sample that represents the applicant’s most challenging legal work. The writing sample should not be a collaborative work or a piece significantly edited by someone else.

Applications can be submitted anytime until January 15, 2016. Please put the application materials into pdf form and email them to IPR’s Administrator, Niko Perazich, at nwp2@law.georgetown.edu. We will select candidates to be interviewed at our office. Although IPR will not pay candidates’ travel expenses, we will try to arrange interviews at a time convenient for the candidate.