Attorney Fellowship Sponsorship 2023

Anticipated Start date: Fall 2023

Application Deadline: July 14, 2022

Application requirements: Cover letter, resume, references, a five-page legal-writing sample, and transcript

BACKGROUND:

Philadelphia Legal Assistance Center, Inc. (PLA) is interested in sponsoring eligible law students and law clerks for Attorney Fellowships to begin in the Fall of 2023.

Created in January 1996 and primarily funded by the Legal Services Corporation, PLA provides free civil legal services to low-income Philadelphians and migrant agricultural workers throughout the state of Pennsylvania. The work is professionally challenging and uniquely fulfilling for those wishing to pursue a career in public interest law on behalf of low-income individuals.

PLA attorneys provide high-quality, innovative, and holistic representation to low-income individuals in areas of basic human need; shelter, family safety, and income maintenance. Attorneys also engage in systemic advocacy. We encourage the use of creative strategies to resolve legal problems as well as innovative service delivery models to meet client needs. PLA’s substantive areas of expertise and practice in Philadelphia include consumer housing, family, unemployment compensation, and income taxes. The Consumer Housing Unit focuses on mortgage foreclosure defense, predatory lending, bankruptcy, tangled title, and consumer protection. PLA’s family law practice addresses family safety and interpersonal violence through representation in custody and protection from abuse matters. Unemployed Philadelphia workers receive legal assistance from our Unemployment Unit, which is led by a nationally recognized expert in unemployment benefits. Other income supports such as food stamps and medical assistance and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) cases are handled by PLA’s Medical-Legal Community Partnership.

PLA’s migrant program, the Pennsylvania Farmworker Project (PFP), represents seasonal and migrant farmworkers throughout the state in employment and housing-related matters.

We welcome any project that would enhance the current work of any of our substantive units, especially with an emphasis on racial equity. Additionally, if you have areas of particular interest or project ideas, we encourage you to state them in your letter.

QUALIFICATIONS: PLA is seeking incoming 3Ls, recent graduates, or judicial clerks for Attorney Fellowship sponsorships whose projects will commence in the Fall of 2023. A J.D. from an accredited law school and a willingness to sit for the Pennsylvania State Bar is required.

Philadelphia Legal Assistance (PLA) is an equal opportunity employer. PLA values a diverse work environment and strongly encourages women, people of color, people who identify as LGBTQ, people with disabilities, people who have experienced poverty or homelessness, and people who have had prior contact with the juvenile, criminal, or child welfare systems to apply. PLA invites all applicants to include in their cover letter a statement about how your unique background and/or experiences might contribute to the diversity, cultural vitality, and perspective of our staff and legal services practice. Interested applicants should email a cover letter, resume, five-page legal-writing sample, and transcript (preferably in one PDF document) to work@philalegal.org.

Application deadline is July 14, 2022.