Public Advocates seeks passionate racial and economic justice advocates to apply for project funding with us through the Equal Justice Works and/or Skadden post-graduate fellowship programs.
We are welcoming fellowship applicants to work with our K-12 Local Powerbuilding Team in Southern California, which works in deep partnership with grassroots organizations on local education equity campaigns and capacity-building and engages in statewide community education on how to implement and leverage state policy wins in local school districts. We are also open to project proposals in the areas of Housing Justice, Renters’ Rights, and Transportation Justice to work out of our San Francisco or Sacramento offices.
Compensation for first-year attorneys at Public Advocates starts at $76,500 and is based on a step schedule.
Qualities and Skills Sought
We recognize the value that lived experience in racial and social justice brings to a workplace and we encourage skilled candidates, including people from historically marginalized or underrepresented identities or communities, to apply even if not all formal qualifications are met.
- JD anticipated by May 2025, recent law graduates, or experienced attorneys seeking to make a career change to public interest work. Please note that candidates may not have held a full-time, permanent public interest attorney position, including any major fellowship program like EJW or Skadden. Candidates that currently have law school or bridge fellowships are eligible as are current judicial law clerks.
- Demonstrated commitment to racial and economic justice and movement lawyering (working in partnership with directly impacted low-income communities of color to further self-determination and leadership development).
- Strong written and oral communication skills, including the ability to communicate clearly and persuasively to legal, policymaker, and community audiences.
- Initiative, creativity, strong project management skills, including the ability to effectively manage multiple and shifting priorities, and the ability to effectively collaborate with our team and a diverse set of allies.
- Preference for some of the following:
- Spanish language fluency.
- Prior work in education, education justice, housing, renters’ rights, or transportation justice, or other subject area expertise relevant to the proposed project.
- Prior grassroots organizing experience or work with organizers.
Potential Projects
We are most interested in expanding our local power building work and our litigation capacity in the following priority areas:
- Educator-focused projects in Southern CA: A stable, well-prepared, and diverse educator workforce is the most important school-related predictor of student achievement, especially for Black, Latine, and other students of color. Yet, most communities are facing an educator vacancy and retention crisis. We recognize that educator working conditions are student learning conditions and are interested in projects that will support local communities to build solidarity with educators and their bargaining partners to strengthen and diversify the local educator pipeline. For example, filing Williams complaints to address educator vacancies, partnering with local educators on advocacy campaigns, and strategizing with grassroots partners about how to use data and policy tools to address their local educator challenges.
- Projects focused on particular student subgroups in Southern CA: At Public Advocates, we are committed to partnering with directly impacted families, students, and educators to close opportunity gaps in local communities. We are especially interested in closing racial opportunity gaps for Black students, addressing the unique challenges that long-term English Learners face, and prioritizing the needs of Indigenous students. The local power-building team provides legal community education to organizers, families, and students; offers legal, budget, and data analysis to inform strategy and support local campaigns; and files legal complaints on behalf of organizations who choose to use legal leverage as a movement building strategy.
- Projects focused on Housing Justice, Renters’ Rights, and Transportation Justice: Public Advocates also works with grassroots groups fighting for racial and economic justice to win affordable homes in all communities, anti-displacement policies and equitable investments, and public transportation that serves the needs of low-income people. We are open to applicants with a background in these areas and clear ideas about projects that fit Public Advocates’ community partnership and systems change mission as well as the funding parameters of Equal Justice Works and/or Skadden.
We will work collaboratively on the project proposal with the chosen candidate.
Application Instructions
Applications are welcome immediately and due no later than Friday, June 28th at 5:00 pm PST. Applications should include:
- A cover letter that explains your interest in seeking a fellowship with our organization, the project area(s) you are most interested in pursuing, and why.
- A resume
- Names of two references, at least one of whom has directly supervised your work.
Submit your materials by email to: fellowship2025@publicadvocates.org. We will notify applicants for an interview on a rolling basis and anticipate making a decision by late July.
Public Advocates seeks to fill this position with someone who shares our values. At Public Advocates, we’re always looking for great people to work with. We value diversity in our workplace, including people of color, women, people with disabilities, people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender, and anyone belonging to any other federal or state protected category. Read our Diversity Vision Statement here.
