Yale Law School -Jerome N. Frank LegalServices Organization-Clinical Fellowship for Criminal Legal System Advocacy
Yale Law School seeks applications for a clinical fellowship in the Jerome N. Frank Legal Services Organization, within Yale Law School’s clinical program. This is a two-year position, with a third-year option, beginning on or about May 1, 2026. The fellowship is designed for lawyers with at least five years of practice, by the date of hire, who are considering a career in law school teaching. Candidates must be prepared to apply for admission to the Connecticut bar. (Candidates with five years of practice experience may qualify for admission without examination.) The principal supervisors for the position will be Professors Fiona Doherty and Miriam Gohara.
The fellow will work with the Criminal Justice and Challenging Mass Incarceration Clinics on criminal legal system advocacy, including the areas of criminal defense, post-conviction litigation, parole revocation defense, challenging excessive sentencing, providing prison legal services, and policy advocacy.
The fellow’s responsibilities include representing clients, supervising students, co- teaching classes, pursuing a scholarship agenda, managing cases when school is not in session, supervising an eleven-week summer intern program, and assisting with a criminal justice bootcamp before each semester starts.
All work will be conducted with the support of the clinical faculty and will focus on representing low-income clients and providing legal assistance to organizations working on criminal legal reform and adjacent issues.
Candidates must be able to work both independently and as part of a team, and must possess strong written and oral communication skills. Experience in creative and community-driven advocacy is a strong plus. The annual salary is $93,600. Fellows are eligible to participate in Yale health plans and have access to university facilities. For the right candidate, a staff attorney position may be considered in place of a fellowship position.
Email a resume, cover letter, writing sample, law school transcript, and names, addresses and telephone numbers of three references to clinical.fellow@yale.edu. Applications are due by January 31, 2026. Early applications are encouraged.
Questions may be directed to Denise Santaella at (203) 432-4800 or denise.santaella@yale.edu.
Yale University considers applicants for employment without regard to, and does not discriminate on the basis of, an individual’s sex, race, color, religion, age, disability, status as a veteran, or national or ethnic origin; nor does Yale discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity or expression. Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 protects people from sex discrimination in educational programs and activities at institutions that receive federal financial assistance. Questions regarding Title IX may be referred to the University’s Title IX Coordinator, at TitleIX@yale.edu, or to the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, 8th Floor, Five Post Office Square, Boston MA 02109-3921. Telephone: 617.289.0111, Fax: 617.289.0150, TDD: 800.877.8339, or Email: ocr.boston@ed.gov.