2024 Fellowship Sponsorship Opportunity - Education

The Position

The Education team at the National Women’s Law Center seeks rising third-year law students, judicial clerks, and other recent law school graduates interested in applying for Skadden, Equal Justice Works, Justice Catalyst, or other legal fellowships to begin in August or September 2024. This is a full-time, term limited position, with the possibility of renewal.

NWLC’s Education program team focuses on four priority areas:

• Fighting sex-based harassment (including sexual violence) in school, through enforcement of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and state and local policy
• Lifting the voices of Black and brown girls to improve school climate (e.g., ending unnecessary suspensions, expulsions, and practices that criminalize students for normal behavior; increasing counselors and other mental health supports; reforming racist & sexist dress codes);
• Boosting supports for pregnant and parenting students; and
• Supporting robust Title IX protections for LGBTQI+ students, including when accessing sex-separated school facilities and participating in school sports.

These priority areas primarily focus on students in K-12 schools, although NWLC engages in work related to gender equity in higher education, as well. Additionally, NWLC works to ensure that gender justice in education is viewed through an intersectional lens, centering girls of color, LGBTQI+ students, and disabled girls.

NWLC invites fellowship project proposals addressing any of the following issues in education: discriminatory school policies including disproportionate disciplinary practices; sex-based harassment (including sexual violence); barriers to graduation for pregnant and parenting students; discrimination against LGBTQI+ students; and other educational barriers students face due to sex discrimination.

The fellow’s project may include: (1) public outreach and education, including creation of materials (such as fact sheets, reports and toolkits) to expand awareness of available federal and state legal protections; (2) local, state and federal administrative and legislative advocacy to establish and strengthen nondiscrimination protections, including coalition work; (3) participating in litigation aimed at enforcing and expanding the rights of girls, women and LGBTQI+ individuals in school. As needed, the fellow may also provide other program and organization-wide support.

The Organization

The National Women’s Law Center fights for gender justice — in the courts, in public policy, and in our society — working across the issues that are central to the lives of women and girls.

We use the law in all its forms to change culture and drive solutions to the gender inequity that shapes our society and to break down the barriers that harm all of us — especially those who face multiple forms of discrimination, including women of color, LGBTQ people, and low-income women and families.

For 50 years, we have been on the leading edge of every major legal and policy victory for women, and we need you with us to continue this fight. Find out more at NWLC.org.

Qualifications

The candidate must possess:  

• A law degree by May 2024 and willingness to seek admission to the DC Bar; 
• Excellent analytical, oral, and written communication skills; 
• Attention to detail and strong organizational skills; 
• Ability to collaborate with team members and coalition partners; 
• Initiative and creativity; 
• Willingness to ask questions and to give and receive feedback; and 
• A commitment to gender and racial equity.  

Additional preferred skills and knowledge, including:  

• Experience working in a research, advocacy, or policymaking environment; 
• Prior involvement engaging allies and stakeholders across sectors or movements; 
• Background working in and/or building coalitions; and 
• Demonstrated commitment to and experience working on gender and racial equity and centering communities of color in approach to work.

Compensation & Benefits

A salary within the range of $83,000-$91,230 will be provided to the successful candidate with up to 4 years of experience, consistent with the National Women’s Law Center’s compensation framework. The successful candidate’s salary within this range will be determined by the number years of relevant experience they bring to the role.

NWLC offers a comprehensive benefits package and four weeks of annual vacation.

NWLC is a non-profit organization whose headquarters and staff are based in Washington, D.C. at our new office at 1350 Eye Street N.W. This role is based in D.C. and will be eligible for some telework while also being expected to work in-person on a regular basis. The successful candidate will need to live in or relocated to the DMV (broadly defined as DC, Maryland, or Virginia).

The first 90 days of employment will be considered a probationary period.

Classification

NWLC recognizes a staff bargaining unit, NWLC United, affiliated with the Nonprofit Professional Employees Union/IFPTE Local 70, a union for non-profit workers. This position is included in NWLC’s bargaining unit. Specific employment terms are subject to collective bargaining.

To Apply

To apply, please submit a cover letter describing your qualifications, project proposal as described below, resume, transcript, a 5-10 page writing sample, and contact information for three references.

For your project proposal please provide an outline (approximately one page) of your potential project idea, including the issue(s) you intend to address, the population(s) served, and the strategies you want to employ.

Applications must be received by 11:59pm on June 26, 2023. No calls please.

The National Women’s Law Center is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer and values a diverse workforce. We strongly encourage and seek applications from people with disabilities; people of all genders, gender identities and sexual orientations; people of color; and veterans.  

Reasonable Accommodations

If you require reasonable accommodations during any part of the hiring process, please email us at NWLCHR@nwlc.org.