Food and Agriculture LLM Fellow

Food and Agriculture LLM Fellow

Part-time, exempt, 20 hours/week

On-campus

$40,0000 / year

Reports to:

CAFS Director

Vermont Law and Graduate School is committed to cultivating and preserving a culture of inclusion and connectedness. We grow and learn better together with a diverse group of faculty, staff, and students. In recruiting for faculty and staff, we seek unique backgrounds to enrich and challenge our community.

Position Summary

In addition to pursuing the L.LM. degree at Vermont Law and Graduate School, the Food and Agricultural Law L.L.M. Fellow will conduct research and work with students to produce educational materials on food and agricultural law and policy for policymakers, community organizations, farmers, and other entities across the food system. To be considered, applicants must have a law degree/Juris Doctor (JD) from an ABA-accredited institution or the international first law degree equivalent.

Fellows will receive a tuition waiver for the L.LM. degree while working an average 20 hours per week at the Center for Agriculture and Food Systems (CAFS) throughout the duration of the two-year fellowship.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

• Conduct legal and policy research and analysis to contribute substantively to existing areas of work, in collaboration with the Center’s staff and faculty. CAFS current areas of work include:
  Food Governance and Regulation, Environment and Natural Resources, Farms and Food Businesses, Farm and Food Workers, Local and Regional Food Systems, and Food Safety and Consumer Protection. The Fellow’s work may include updating existing web resources with new information and/or developing new case studies, memos, fact sheets, policy issue briefs, and reports.
• Research, review, and analyze local and state laws and regulations related to local and regional food systems, institutional procurement, local food retail, and urban agriculture. This includes identification, coding, and summary of local and state government laws and regulations appropriate for inclusion in the Center’s searchable policy databases, focusing primarily on recently enacted legislation. Further research into local policies and their implementation may include follow-up interviews with local stakeholders and observers and additional primary research.
• Supervise JD and master’s students on projects including those in the Food and Agriculture Clinic, or student research assistants; review, provide feedback on, and approve documents prepared by students including memos, reports, policy briefs, webinars, and other oral presentations; and hold individual conferences with students as appropriate.
• Conduct outreach and present on the Center’s work at national conferences, trainings, and events.
• Collaborate and consult with internal colleagues and external peer advisors to help design and disseminate legal and policy resources.

Required Education, Skills, and Experience:

• JD from an ABA-accredited law school;
• One to three years of relevant legislative, legal, or policy experience, including judicial clerkships (experience or interest in transactional law preferred);
• Strong legal research, writing, interpersonal, and communications skills;
• Demonstrated commitment to sustainable agriculture and local/regional food systems (work in food and agriculture settings preferred);
• Ability to think systemically and develop analysis and recommendations based on thorough research.
• Ability to effectively interact, collaborate, and develop meaningful relationships with people of various cultural, religious, and socioeconomic backgrounds, among others.
• Self-motivated, creative, entrepreneurial spirit and ability and desire to work both independently and as part of a team.
• Admission to (or currently…