Legal Fellow, Constitutional Scholarship

Legal Fellow, Constitutional Scholarship

Remote

You: A recent law school graduate who loves the scholarly side of the law. You think quickly and deeply, and you enjoy taking a dense Supreme Court decision and making it make sense to people, whether that’s in writing, on a podcast, or wherever the conversation is happening. You’re self-directed, and excited about identifying the different places where your scholarship can make a difference.

Them: Bureaucrats, city councils, mayors, governors, and federal agencies stripping Americans of their rights every day. There’s a lot of government overreach out there, and it’s backed by seemingly endless resources. But fortunately, like all lumbering giants, abusive government is most vulnerable when countered by individuals who act strategically and nimbly, take calculated risks, have each other’s backs, and are confident in, and passionate for the cause—the very sort of swashbucklers we employ in spades here at PLF.

Us: We fight back. Pacific Legal Foundation is the nation’s first and most successful public interest law firm dedicated to vindicating individual liberty. PLF has an unmatched record in the United States Supreme Court, with 18 victories out of 21 cases litigated at the Court—so far. We have nearly 200 hundred active cases nationwide and a growing number of legislative and administrative policy wins.

We are a next-generation public interest law firm. What does “next-generation” mean for a legal nonprofit? It means we aren’t interested in doing the same thing as everyone else. We aspire to be the best player in a constantly changing game.

Here’s what you get to do in this role: As PLF’s next Legal Fellow, you’ll produce high-impact scholarship and commentary at the intersection of public interest litigation, Supreme Court cases, and big constitutional ideas. You’ll track the Court in real time, dig into doctrine and history, and help turn complex legal questions into writing that shapes litigation, public debate, and national conversations.

Getting down to brass tacks,
your specific job duties will likely include:

• Researching Supreme Court precedent, Founding-era sources, and emerging doctrinal fights
• Supporting outreach to academics and law journals, and helping organize symposia with law schools
• Drafting and refining op-eds, long-form essays, amicus briefs, Supreme Court commentary, case summaries, and law review articles that turn complicated legal ideas into compelling writing
• Supporting scholarship tied to active or potential litigation

This role is ideal for someone with:

• A J.D.
• A serious interest in constitutional law and public interest litigation
• Strong research, writing, and analytical skills, and the ability to synthesize complex material quickly
• Experience with legal research tools (Westlaw, Lexis Nexis)
• Familiarity with Supreme Court practice or clerkship experience
• Ability to travel approximately 10% of work time

General information: Pacific Legal Foundation identifies and litigates important legal issues to set landmark precedents that will benefit Americans nationwide. Using strategic and principled litigation, communications, and research, we battle for freedom in the nation’s courts and the court of public opinion.

As a national nonprofit organization, PLF has brick-and-mortar offices in Sacramento, California;
Arlington, Virginia; and Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, although approximately half of the staff works from home offices across the country. Working from the Arlington, Virginia, office is a plus for this role, although candidates will be considered for work from any office or home office.

Minimal travel required (approximately 10% of work time), including attendance at annual staff…