RFP: Education Defense Fund Senior Legal Fellowship

The National Center for Youth Law (NCYL), through its Education Defense Fund (EDF), is inviting former federal government civil rights attorneys to submit their interest for short-term (4-6 month) Senior Legal Fellowships. Their insights into federal enforcement tools—like investigations, resolution agreements, and administrative processes—are invaluable in the fight to protect and advance civil rights for students.

By bringing these fellows in to support our broader work, NCYL will strengthen our national capacity to defend student rights, strengthen the technical infrastructure behind local and national advocacy, and invest in a diverse, intergenerational workforce rooted in both legal expertise and community-grounded strategies.

Background on Education Defense Fund and EDF Fellowship Program

The Trump administration's actions are causing an exodus of experienced civil rights professionals from government service. These individuals represent an invaluable resource—bringing in-depth knowledge of enforcement mechanisms, case histories, and established relationships that could dramatically accelerate NYCL’s capacity to step into the breach and protect students’ civil rights.

NYCL recognizes and respects the expertise that these individuals bring to the fight for civil rights and created this fellowship as a part of its recently launched Education Defense Fund. NCYL is uniquely situated to fill in the gap left behind by the effectively shuttered federal offices charged with protecting the civil rights of students through enforcement, advocacy, and education. NCYL’s EDF brings together law, policy, research, and community partnerships, all guided by young people’s experiences, to drive meaningful, lasting change.

EDF will help create meaningful and substantive enforcement pathways and provide technical assistance and direct support to affected students and families. EDF includes five key components in addition to the Education Defense Fund Fellowships: Promoting Public Education, Defending Student Civil Rights, Creation of a Student Pro Bono Defense Network, Tracking Educational Civil Rights Data, and Supporting the Education Strategy Legal Council.

Education Defense Fund Fellowships

The Senior Legal Fellows contracted through the EDF Fellowship will support different components of the EDF. Below are some examples of the scope of work that Senior Legal Fellows may be asked to support, but we are also open to new proposals and projects that are consistent with EDF’s mission to protect and advance student civil rights in the absence of federal advocacy or enforcement.

• Promoting Public Education: Public education is the foundation of our democracy and EDF will identify threats to public funding and monitor the use of new technologies and their impact on civil rights protections for all students, including those from under-resourced and traditionally marginalized backgrounds. Fellows may coordinate with the NCYL litigation team on the development of legal strategies to protect, advance, and support public education systems across the country.
• Defending Student Civil Rights: EDF is in the process of developing state-specific guidance and assessment tools for families and will seek input and advice from Senior Fellows on this guidance. EDF will look to Senior Legal Fellows for their support and recommendations in developing trainings for state offices that enforce civil rights protections under federal and state law, and for support in developing a network of student-led and student-centered advocacy organizations.
• Creation of a Student Pro Bono Defense Network: As EDF builds this network, Senior Legal Fellows will help develop the training and oversight mechanisms necessary for pro bono support of students.
• Tracking and Reporting Educational Civil Rights Data: EDF will look to Senior Legal Fellows for their expertise with respect to the design of an accessible, safe, and independent reporting mechanism for documenting student civil rights violations. Former government leaders understand what worked and did not with respect to data collection at the federal level, and how that data can be used to support enforcement of civil rights now and a more effective enforcement regime in the future.
• Supporting the Education Strategy Legal Council: Senior Legal Fellows will be uniquely situated to ensure that we are able to utilize the expertise of senior education and civil rights experts from across the country to enforce the civil rights of students across the country.

Senior Legal Fellows will help ensure that all components of the EDF remain accountable to the needs of affected students and families. Senior Legal Fellows can help ensure that we gather and follow student and caregiver input throughout to help ensure accountability.

We will create an alumni network of Senior Fellows to support each other and the work going forward.

Importantly, NCYL respects the expertise these Senior Legal Fellows bring to the EDF Fellowship Program and looks forward to receiving proposals for advancing the mission of EDF.

Eligibility

Individuals who recently served as attorneys in positions in the federal government, including the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S. Department of Education or the Civil Rights Division (CRT) or other parts of the U.S. Department of Justice where they focused on education and civil rights (for example, the Educational Opportunities Section at CRT), but are now at a moment of career transition, are eligible to submit a proposal. Individuals with experience protecting and advancing the civil rights of students as attorneys at these federal agencies are encouraged to apply.

Proposal Requirements

The Education Defense Fellowship seeks to engage Senior Legal Fellows through a contracted fellowship program. Please submit your proposal documents for the inaugural 2025-2026 fellowship here [link]. Applications are due by August 1, 2025. Fellowships will begin on October 1, 2025. Please submit:

• A short statement of interest (250-500 words) that articulates why you are interested in the fellowship and a proposal of how you will contribute to one of EDF’s scopes of work that you are particularly interested in supporting.
• A brief response (no more than 2-4 sentences) to the following:

1. Have you worked on a civil rights case or advocacy effort that did not involve federal OCR? If yes, briefly describe the context and your role. (1-3 sentences)
2. What's one specific skill or asset you would bring to EDF that would make an immediate impact in the first 90 days? (1-3 sentences)
3. In one or two sentences, what do you see as the biggest risk or challenge to EDF's mission?

• A resume/CV, and
• Two references, including a previous supervisor.

It is expected that Senior Legal Fellows will be at a moment of career transition when applying for the fellowship; if they secure new employment during the planned period of the fellowship, EDF will support and work with the Senior Legal Fellows to transition their scope of work. Senior Fellows are encouraged to remain connected to the program through our Senior Fellow Alumni Network, even after securing new employment.

Fellowship Awards

Senior Legal Fellows will be able to request $12,500.00 per month for their services for up to 6 months.

It is the policy of NCYL to provide equal employment opportunities to all Applicants (including Employees) regardless of race, ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, reproductive health decision-making, breastfeeding, national origin, age, abilities/disabilities, neurotypicality, socioeconomic status, veteran status, marital status, prior convictions, or any other protected classifications under federal, state, or local law.