AALDEF Fellowship

The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF), founded in 1974, is a New York-based national organization that protects and promotes the civil rights of Asian Americans. By combining litigation, advocacy, education, and organizing, AALDEF works with Asian American communities across the country to secure human rights for all.

AALDEF is seeking rising third-year law students, judicial clerks, and recent law graduates to sponsor for one-or-two-year project-based fellowships to start in fall 2026 with a funding organization such as the Skadden Fellowship Foundation and Equal Justice Works. Please note that AALDEF will not independently fund these fellowships, but does cover the difference between external funding and the AALDEF salary scale.

AALDEF uses a community lawyering model to support Asian Americans organizing for social change. Through innovative legal strategies, AALDEF facilitates organizing and prioritizes issues impacting those most marginalized by collaborating with community-based groups across the country.

Opportunities for fellowship proposals are available in the following areas:

• Economic Justice;
• Immigrant Rights;
• Anti-Asian Targeting, Surveillance, and Racial Profiling; and
• Education Equity (with a focus on K-12)

AALDEF is particularly interested in fellowship applications that focus on communities with heightened vulnerabilities for deportation, Asian immigrant workers facing emerging or increasing barriers to safe working environments, and coalitional strategies that empower marginalized groups to protect their communities from harassment, displacement, and inequality.

Fellows can expect to handle a workload that combines litigation, policy, and community education and advocacy as part of organization-wide programs that seek to protect and empower Asian American communities. AALDEF seeks to help mold the next generation of social justice lawyers, and fellows will receive opportunities to attend skill-building trainings, develop innovative legal projects, and get firsthand experience working with grassroots community organizations.

INFORMATION SESSION

AALDEF will host a virtual informational session on June 12 at 1:30pm EST to further detail our priorities in these program areas and how proposals can fit into our community lawyering model. If interested in joining the info session, please RSVP here. If you are unable to join at that time, we will send a recording afterward to those who register.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Demonstrated commitment to social, racial, and economic justice.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively with internal and external partners.
• Commitment to movement or community lawyering.
• Familiarity with Asian American communities and issues.
• Outstanding writing, communication, organizational, and interpersonal skills.
• Highly organized and solution-oriented.
• Admitted to or willing to sit for the N.Y. Bar.
• Ability to speak an Asian language helpful, but not required.

COMPENSATION: Salary is $75,000 for an NYC-based employee. Excellent health and vacation benefits.

AALDEF operates in a hybrid work environment and expects employees to be based in the New York office. Exceptions are available for remote employees, please specify in your cover letter if you do not intend to work from New York City.

DEADLINE: Thursday, July 3, 2025

TO APPLY: Email a cover letter with your project proposal, resume, one writing sample, and three references to info@aaldef.org, and put “Fellowship Application” in the subject line.

Please keep the description of your proposed project to one page. Think about your proposal as a way to demonstrate your ability to develop, implement, and lead a project, but keep in mind that we are also seeking candidates with flexibility to adapt their proposal to our organization's and communities' current needs.

AALDEF is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.