Fellowship

South Coastal Counties Legal Services, Inc. (SCCLS), and its subsidiary the Justice Center of Southeast Massachusetts (JCSM), are non‑profit legal services programs providing free civil legal aid to eligible low‑income and elder residents throughout the region. Our core mission is to achieve justice for our clients by providing community‑based advocacy through the delivery of high quality and timely assistance to those at risk.

Both agencies accept applications for fellowship positions (e.g. Equal Justice Works, Skadden, etc.) in all of our substantive practice areas on a rolling basis across their field offices. The nature of the project, and the depth of the involvement, will depend on the candidate and their experience. While applicants will need to go through the application and approval process for their respective programs, our organizations do provide matching (or other required) funds to candidates after project approval.

We encourage candidates to plan for a full‑time position (35 hours a week, Monday through Friday), but we will do our best to be flexible and accommodate academic and personal schedules. Fellows are typically paid, and receive benefits, as if they are regular staff, but it is important to note that these positions are time‑limited and not covered by our union contract.

Both SCCLS and JCSM offer a diverse range of services to support and empower our communities. Our work takes us across our service area, and available office space or program needs can vary. We will aim to match applicants interested in a specific type of work with a supervisor who has expertise in that area, and whose office is accessible to the fellow, allowing for discussions and the development of individualized projects in collaboration with us.

We ask applicants to be realistic about travel arrangements and as flexible as their individual circumstances allow.

Both organizations offer hybrid in‑person and remote work options for staff, but fully remote options will typically not be available. Please feel free to contact us and ask about any concerns or individual needs.

SCCLS field offices are located in Brockton, Fall River, New Bedford, and Hyannis. Active practice area units include
1) housing,
2) family law,
3) consumer law,
4) benefits, and
5) elder law. SCCLS also hosts our active Private Attorney Involvement (“PAI”) program.

The JCSM has one office in Brockton but offers services throughout our service area. The JCSM provides significant services for clients with legal needs in the areas of
1) education,
2) immigration, and
3) housing.

We may have additional projects based on yearly funding opportunities at both organizations and will help direct candidates with project proposals to the organization or unit that most closely matches their interests.

Fellows, or others similarly situated, can expect to receive orientation and training, learning opportunities about our work, and court/hearing observations. Our staff perform a wide variety of services including conducting intakes, helping to gather information about people and services, performing research projects, case handling, and assisting colleagues. Candidates’ job duties will also depend to a great degree on the mutually agreeable project crafted by both the applicant and the in‑house supervisor.

Applications will be considered on a rolling basis, but our availability to host fellows may be limited based on third‑party funding deadlines and office capacity. We start accepting formal applications/proposals for the following year (typically starting in the fall) on February 1st and begin the decision‑making process on May 1st. We may not be able to accommodate applications or proposals received after that date until the following year.

For full consideration, please submit your resume, two (2) references, cover letter, and any required project/proposal materials to:
Lissl Thelin at lthelin with subject line: “Fellowship Application.” Please note that we consider all kinds of experience, not just credentials, and if you have any questions about your application please don’t hesitate to ask. After reviewing and approving proposals, we will reach out to candidates to discuss specifics and help develop a full proposal for review by the relevant organization or committee overseeing the fellowship.

SCCLS is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and we welcome applicants from a broad range of backgrounds and experiences. We strive to foster a healthy, inclusive environment where all staff, clients, and community members are valued, empowered, and recognized, especially individuals who come from marginalized communities that are often under‑resourced, underserved, and under‑represented.