HARVARD LEGAL AID BUREAU is hiring a 2021-2022 Clinical Fellow
The Harvard Legal Aid Bureau is a student-run civil legal aid organization committed to providing free representation to low-income and marginalized communities in the Greater Boston area. Students and staff aim to provide these services in a way that responds to the systemic racial, social, and economic inequalities that are the causes and consequences of poverty. To that end, the Bureau trains its student attorneys to advocate vigorously for their clients, create enduring community partnerships, and become socially conscious leaders.
DESCRIPTION
The Harvard Legal Aid Bureau seeks a Fellow for the 2021-2022 academic year. The Fellow will represent clients, partner with Clinical Instructors (CIs) in supervising practicing law students, and work to develop and strengthen community lawyering partnerships in one or more of our three primary practice areas: Wage and Hour, Family, and Housing. More specifically the Fellow will:
●Maintain an active caseload and represent clients in matters pertaining to Wage and Hour, Family, and/or Housing law;
●Foster relationship with HLAB’s partners in the Greater Boston area by attending community meetings, communicating with leaders, and creating new community lawyering initiatives (depending on the interests and qualifications of the Fellow, community lawyering initiatives could include streamlining intakes, developing strategies for supporting the building of collective power, and advancing shared policy goals);
●Learn clinical teaching methodology, under the supervision of the Bureau’s CIs, while developing and refining teaching and practice approaches;
●Meet regularly with other teaching staff; assist in conducting case rounds and seminars on practice skills and substantive law; participate in other office-wide projects, including orientation, training, and outreach events;
●Assist the CIs in the supervision of students by meeting regularly with students, helping them to prepare and strategize for their casework, reviewing students' written work, providing regular, detailed feedback to students, and delivering instruction in basic legal skills; and,
●Bring creativity and initiative to develop projects that build on the Fellow’s talents and interests, while maintaining alignment with the Bureau's mission.
The Fellow may be asked to:
●Help the Bureau refine and improve its data collection and outcome measures, in order to promote the Bureau’s racial and economic justice mission; and,
●Spearhead capacity-building initiatives (in the past, for example, two fellows worked with the Family practice to build the Bureau’s capacity to handle Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) cases).
During summer months and other periods of student absence, the Fellow might be entirely or partially responsible for additional case coverage, including communication with clients, motions, and trials. Some evening and occasional weekend hours are expected. The Fellow will report to the Bureau’s Faculty Director and/or a Clinical Instructor in the Fellow’s primary practice area.
Basic Qualifications
Candidates must:
●At or shortly after the time of hiring, be admitted to the Massachusetts bar or eligible to practice under Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Rule 3:03 or Rule 3:04. A candidate qualified only under Rule 3:03 must commit to taking the Massachusetts Bar exam (or another bar exam that will qualify the candidate for practice under Rule 3:04) and the MPRE as soon as possible;
●Have 0 - 5 years of legal experience; and,
●Have experience mentoring or exposure to a strong mentoring environment within a clinical legal setting
●Possess experience (as a lawyer, clinical law student, or summer intern) in at least one of the areas of law practiced at the Bureau.
Candidates must also be able to thrive in a high-volume civil legal aid litigation practice and in a student- run organization. The ability to work sensitively with a diverse multicultural population of clients, students, and staff is essential.
Additional Qualifications
Superior motivation and initiative; ability to work creatively within broad program goals; ability to work independently, as well as in teams; an interest in and aptitude for clinical supervision and teaching; superior organization and time management skills; and, strong oral and written communication skills. Bi- cultural and/or bi-lingual candidates are encouraged to apply.
Salary and Benefits
The salary range for the position is $60-65,000, depending on experience, plus health insurance and benefits.
To Apply: Candidates should submit a cover letter, resume, and brief (5-10 page) self-edited writing sample to the Fellowship Committee at hlabrecruitment@gmail.com. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
Additional Information
The Harvard Legal Aid Bureau is a curriculum-based poverty law clinic that represents low-income residents of the Boston area in civil matters, including landlord-tenant, domestic relations, wage and hour, and unemployment benefits. It is staffed by a Faculty Director, a Deputy Faculty Director, an Administrative Director, six Clinical Instructors, a Program Administrator, a part-time social worker, and 50 2L and 3L Harvard Law School students fulfilling a two-year commitment, with law student interns from around the country covering cases in the summer. Since 1913, the Bureau has functioned under a tradition of student leadership and governance, making it a unique and exciting institution in clinical legal education. This is a one-year appointment, without possibility of renewal.
We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation or any other characteristic protected by law.