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Legal Aid Pre-Law Fellowship

The Connecticut Veterans Legal Center (CVLC) is offering an ambitious upcoming or recent college graduate or current part-time law student the unique opportunity to engage in meaningful legal and non-profit work through our Pre-Law Fellowship position. This is a full-time position with competitive pay and benefits.

CVLC is a national leader providing critical legal services to disabled veterans in a medical-legal partnership with the VA. Our mission is to help low-income veterans recovering from mental illness and homelessness overcome legal barriers to housing, healthcare, and income. As zealous attorneys and advocates, CVLC’s work occurs where veterans law intersects with economic and racial justice, human rights, and mental health.

During the two-year tenure at CVLC, the Pre-Law Fellow will gain valuable exposure to law, advocacy, and non-profit management by working alongside our attorneys and the executive team – including the Executive Director and Director of Pro Bono, Partnerships and Development.

Job Description

Beginning in Summer 2021, this opportunity is designed to prepare new professionals interested in pursuing a legal career in public interest law with first-hand exposure to emerging civil legal issues, client-centered advocacy, and non-profit management skills. As such, the Pre-Law Fellow can expect to develop and use a broad range of skills to meet the needs of our advocacy team, executive team, and our clients.

The Fellow will research factual and policy issues, review and analyze legal documents, organize data, and draft advocacy reports. The Fellow will also design communications announcements, track internal financial resources, and monitor private bar engagement. They will interact directly with clients on projects, support our legal teams, and cultivate key external partnerships.

The Fellow will also be instrumental in implementing our social media campaign and organizing programmatic events, including our Saluting Service Event, National Pro Bono Week Initiative, and our Annual Appeal Drive.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Plan and Manage CVLC’s annual fundraising events
• Prepare marketing materials and sponsor materials
• Ensure donor database is up to date and accurate
• Update existing website content and develop new content.
• Write and design e-newsletters in coordination with Development Director.
• Create and execute social media strategy and calendar with Development Director.
• Create social media graphics on CVLC statistics, impacts, and veteran issues.
• Conduct client interviews as necessary to write impact stories
• Write professional correspondence to applicants, clinicians, and attorneys.
• Scan, copy, and fax legal screening documents into our case management system.
• Provide administrative support to the intake and program staff as needed.
• Submit legal filings to the appropriate court.

About You:

The Pre-Law Fellowship Program seeks well-rounded, dedicated, and motivated individuals who have earned their undergraduate degree. The Fellow must be curious about attending law school or already enrolled in a part-time, evening law school program.

• You have a passion for justice: the ideal Fellow will have a passion for justice issues and an enthusiasm for helping people in need.
• You are interested in non-profit management: The Fellow will also be interested in non-profit management and eager to learn what it takes to run a non-profit organization. The Fellow will work closely with the executive team to keep the machinery behind the organization running.
• You are a go-getter: The best candidates will be resourceful, flexible, and driven. The Fellow will understand that priorities and plans change and that the path forward is not always a straight line. The Fellow will use the challenges as opportunities to learn new things.
• You are comfortable with technology, have strong written and oral communication skills, and project management skills: Fellowship candidates should strive to be a triple threat – not just good with people, but also adept at writing and facile with technology. The Fellow must be comfortable with doing the administrative tasks that keep the organization going.
• You are detail-oriented: The Fellow that pays attention to the little things will best help serve our clients. From correctly recording potential clients’ income levels and important dates to catching typos, details will help the Fellow be successful.
• You know how to tell a story: Whether its social media, direct donor engagement, or the annual report, the Fellow will think about how to tell the story of CVLC and our clients. Sometimes this will be done visually; sometimes it will be done with design. Whatever the case, the Fellow will have the technological tools to make a great presentation and communicate CVLC’s work to different audiences.

About Us:

• We are client-centered and hard-working. It is a privilege to do this work and we do our best to honor that by providing our clients with the best services possible.
• We are outcome-oriented and creative. The results that we get for our clients are some of the best in legal aid and we all play a part in making that happen. Part of making that happen is by not doing things like everyone else.
• We are democratic and collegial. Our teamwork is a hallmark of our organization. We are boisterous and like to have fun together.

Veterans, people of color, people with disabilities, and LGBTQ individuals are strongly encouraged to apply. CVLC will make reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities. CVLC is proud to work with a diverse community of clients, staff, and constituents. Come join our team!

To Apply:

Please submit a cover letter, resume, and legal-related writing sample to CVLC at applicants@ctveteranslegal.org. Please be prepared to share the names, title and contact information for three references, if requested. The position is open until filled. We anticipate that it will be filled quickly, so please send your materials as soon as possible.