The Center for Reproductive Rights is a global human rights organization that uses constitutional and international law to secure women’s reproductive freedom.
Founded in 1992 and located in New York City, the Center for Reproductive Rights is a nonprofit legal advocacy organization dedicated to promoting women's equality worldwide by guaranteeing reproductive rights as human rights. Seventeen years after its founding, the Center remains the only reproductive rights organization that combines U.S. and international legal advocacy. Its mission remains straightforward and ambitious: to advance reproductive freedom as a fundamental right that all governments are legally obligated to protect, respect and fulfill.
In the U.S. the Center’s preeminent litigation team has helped millions of women and their families by securing Medicaid funding for abortions; striking abortion bans and other access restrictions; and protecting teens’ access to confidential reproductive healthcare services and information. During the past 20 years, Center attorneys have been counsel in virtually every major U.S. Supreme Court case about reproductive rights. In the last two years, the Center litigated over 20 cases on a range of reproductive rights issues. In addition to the U.S. Legal program’s ground-breaking litigation, we have also expanded our advocacy work through (1) the integration of human rights strategies we have pioneered internationally into our domestic work and (2) increased strategic legislative advocacy at the federal and state level. In 2008, we launched a Law School Initiative to invigorate teaching and scholarship on reproductive rights. The initiative will train the next generation of practicing attorneys, officeholders, policymakers and judges to think about reproductive health as a fundamental human right.
Position Summary and Responsibilities: The Center is accepting applications for the position of Visiting Lawyer for the U.S. Legal Program. This position has been created for attorneys who are receiving funding from private law firms or another source to provide in-house pro bono support at a public interest organization for one year or for attorneys who are willing to commit to a volunteer, unpaid position for one year. The Visiting Attorney will play an integral role in various aspects of the U.S. Legal Program’s work. Depending on interest, experience and the needs of the Center, the Visiting Attorney’s role may include research and writing assignments to support litigation, human rights report writing, the law school initiative and state legislative advocacy. Typical assignments may include the following:
• analyzing bills concerning reproductive rights to determine their constitutionality and likely impact on women’s access to reproductive health services;
• providing legal support for legislative advocacy campaigns;
• conducting legal research to support existing cases and, working under the supervision of a staff attorney, conducting research to develop new cases;
• supporting law school initiative projects, such as researching topics for symposia and conferences and assisting in the development of law school curricular materials; and
• supporting human rights reporting projects, including legal and factual research to develop new report topics.
Overall Candidate Requirements: The Center is seeking one or two junior to mid-level associates for these Visiting Attorney positions. The ideal candidate would be 2-3 years out of law school. Applicants should be self-motivated, capable of complex legal analytical work and have an ability to write clearly and effectively. Knowledge of, or commitment to, reproductive rights or other civil rights, human rights and justice issues and/or health and benefits law are a plus.
Duration of Position: To ensure that the Visiting Attorney is fully integrated into the department and to maximize his or her experience at the Center, the optimal commitment would be one year.
Additional Information About the Center: www.reproductiverights.org
To Apply:
Send cover letter and resume to:
Email (preferred): resumes@reprorights.org
Note: Applicants must indicate “US Pro-Bono Visiting Attorney, their last name and code 55” as the subject of emailed applications. Cover letter, including salary requirement, and resume should be sent as attachments. Positions will be filled on a rolling basis.
The Center for Reproductive Rights is an equal opportunity employer, committed to inclusive hiring and dedicated to diversity in our work and staff. We strongly encourage people from all groups and communities to apply.
- Compensation: This position has been created for attorneys who are receiving funding from private law firms or another source to provide in-house pro bono support at a public interest organization for one year or for attorneys who are willing to commit to a volunteer, unpaid position for one year.
- This is at a non-profit organization.
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