Judge Constance Baker Motley Civil Rights Fellowship

The Equal Justice Society is seeking an attorney with three to five years of

experience committed to racial and social justice to apply for the 2026-2028 (two-year) Judge

Constance Baker Motley Civil Rights Fellowship.

Named after the first African American woman to serve on the federal bench, the Fellowship is

made possible through a generous gift by Elizabeth J. Cabraser. Elizabeth funded the 2001

conference that led to the founding of EJS, a national civil rights organization based in Oakland,

California. EJS established the Fellowship in 2006 to nurture a new generation of movement

lawyers to work with communities to dismantle structural and institutional racism

and transform anti-discrimination law and policy.

Equal Justice Society’s Mission and Work

Equal Justice Society (“EJS”) is transforming the nation’s consciousness on race through law, social science, and the arts. As heirs of the innovative legal and political strategists of Brown v. Board of Education like the late Judge Constance Baker Motley, EJS fights race discrimination by collaborating with social scientists and legal scholars to broaden understanding of what discrimination is and how it manifests in the present day. EJS expands conceptions and narratives of discrimination to include implicit and systemic bias by leveraging social science, structural analysis, and lived experience. EJS’s advocacy focuses on school discipline and ending the school to prison pipeline, equity in higher education, race conscious remedies to health, economic, environmental, and criminal system inequality, and truth and reparations frameworks to remedy centuries of anti-Black discrimination.

Qualifications

The Fellowship period is for two years from April 2026 to April 2028 with some flexibility in start and end dates. EJS currently has a hybrid work structure with some staff working primarily remotely and some working both remotely and in EJS’s office in Oakland one to three days a week.

Requirements:

• Demonstrated commitment to civil rights and advancing systemic racial andsocial justice
• Attorney applicants must have 3-5 years of experience and be licensed and in good standing, preferably with the California State Bar
• Strong legal research (utilizing Westlaw) analytical and writing skills
• Strong oral presentation skills
• Ability to work with individual and organizational clients as partners and drivers in their cases/projects
• Must be team-oriented and able to work well in groups and coalitions
• Willingness and ability to work well from a remote setting and to attend in-person meetings periodically as needed
• Willingness to learn and develop skills required for effective advocacy to promote and enforce civil rights
• Strong skills or aptitude in use of Microsoft Office Programs, Excel and PowerPoint

Preferred qualifications:

• Litigation experience
• Legislative or policy advocacy experience, preferably in California
• Experience as a trainer
• Community-based or movement advocacy experience
• Experience or familiarity with truth and reparations; K-12 or higher education equity; or economic, health or environmental justice work

EJS is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from all qualified individuals including women, people of color, people with disabilities, religious minorities, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people.

EJS’s benefits package includes employer paid medical, dental, and vision insurance coverage; ancillary benefits; a monthly wellness stipend; a retirement contribution (depending on budget); and possible student loan repayment assistance.

English fluency in reading and writing