Elizabeth Zitrin Justice Fellow, School of Law

About the Opportunity

The Civil Rights & Restorative Justice Project (CRRJ), housed at the Northeastern University School of Law’s Center for Law, Equity and Race (CLEAR), is the premier academic program in the country examining current racial inequities through the lens of history and seeking creative reparative justice. CRRJ investigates, publicizes, and remediates historical cases of racially motivated violence. It has built the Nation’s most comprehensive archive in the country on these matters. Founded in 2007, CRRJ’s project is unique in its combination of rigorous research and community engagement. CRRJ’s mission is to: (1) expand the on-line archive on racial violence during the Jim Crow era; (2) train civil and human rights lawyers through curricular offerings and advising; (3) design national, state and local reparative projects and training materials; (4) serve as a clearinghouse for legislative and non-governmental policymakers in the field of historical injustice; and (5) support innovative research on historical racial violence, criminal justice reform, and reparative justice.

The Elizabeth Zitrin Justice Fellow is a clinical fellowship that offers opportunities for professional development in the fields of civil rights, criminal justice, and restorative justice. The Fellow teaches and mentors law students, develops courses and course material and contributes to advocacy-oriented programs and projects.

The Elizabeth Zitrin Clinical Fellow supports CRRJ’s on-going academic, governmental, and community-based projects. The work includes but is not limited to:

• Teaching

• Supervising students on research, law and policy analysis, and lawyering skills

• Training governmental employees, researchers, lawyers, and advocates in the field of racial justice, criminal justice, and historical injustice

• Undertaking research for the CRRJ docket and archive

• Developing and implementing advocacy strategies

• Litigation

• Conducting studies and producing reports

• Representing CRRJ at conferences

• Administrative tasks

Under the supervision of CRRJ faculty, the Fellow helps to execute CRRJ’s program and expand its work. As part of the Northeastern University community, the Fellow is encouraged to take advantage of a range of academic seminars and programs, and to become fully integrated into the intellectual community of the University, attending faculty colloquia and similar events, and interacting with faculty and auditing courses. The Fellowship offers the opportunity to develop teaching skills, academic scholarship, and litigation skills.

This is a one-year appointment with possible renewal for a second year.

Responsibilities:

1. Manage CRRJ Clinic and Students (50%):

• Supervise students handling CRRJ cases on a day-to-day basis

• Help improve students’ lawyering skills, legal research and writing, factual research and interviewing

• Review student drafts, prepare students for oral presentations, and assist students with case development

• An active participant in all clinic activities, including case rounds and seminars.

• Develop appropriate cases for the clinic, and handle the caseload when the clinic is over.

2. Managing CRRJ Docket and Programs (50%):

• Conduct legal research and pursue appropriate legal remedies to respond to the needs of CRRJ constituents, including families and communities.

• Work closely with lawyers and researchers on civil rights and criminal justice issues

Qualifications:

Required Qualifications:

Licensed to practice law in a US jurisdiction with one to three years of experience working in civil rights or criminal justice litigation, government practice, or academic research.

Preferred Qualifications:

The successful candidate will have outstanding academic credentials; a demonstrated interest in civil rights, racial justice, criminal justice, or restorative justice; strong oral and written communication skills; strong skills and appetite for research; excellent work ethic; time management skills; ability to work independently and on multiple projects simultaneously in diverse legal areas. Applicants should demonstrate a commitment to a participatory, collaborative, inclusive work environment with a proven ability to contribute to a workgroup of students, staff, volunteers, and faculty that is multi-racial, multi-generational, gender diverse, and includes people with disabilities. Experience supervising students is a plus.

Documents to Submit:

Please submit a resume, cover letter, and a list of 3 references in a single PDF file.

Additional Information:

For additional information or questions, please contact Alex Stein, a.stein@northeastern.edu.

Position Type

Additional Information

Northeastern University considers factors such as candidate work experience, education and skills when extending an offer.  

All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Compensation Grade/Pay Type:

Expected Hiring Range:

With the pay range(s) shown above, the starting salary will depend on several factors, which may include your education, experience, location, knowledge and expertise, and skills as well as a pay comparison to similarly-situated employees already in the role. Salary ranges are reviewed regularly and are subject to change.