POST-GRADUATE FELLOWSHIP OPPORTUNITIES FOR 2010 LAW SCHOOL GRADUATES

The National Senior Citizens Law Center (NSCLC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to obtaining justice for America’s low-income elderly and people with disabilities, with an emphasis on the problems affecting people of color and women. We work nationally to assure income and health security in old age by improving access to quality health care including long-term care, protecting and strengthening public benefit programs, and safeguarding meaningful access to the courts for enforcement of statutory protections. Our specific areas of expertise include Medicaid, long-term care, Social Security, Supplemental Security Income, various facets of the Medicare program, and federal rights under safety net and civil rights statutes. We litigate class action lawsuits, advocate before legislatures and public agencies, provide trainings and consultations for public interest attorneys and other advocates, and prepare reports and other information on current issues within our expertise. Also, we publish a variety of publications, both for attorneys and consumers.

The Position:  NSCLC seeks to sponsor applicants for 2010 and 2011 Fellowships, including school-based fellowships, the Borchard Foundation Center on Law and Aging Fellowship, the Equal Justice Works Fellowship, and the Skadden Fellowship. Work could commence in summer or fall 2010 if a Borchard or school-based fellowship is granted. If a law student or current law clerk is pursuing an Equal Justice Works or Skadden Fellowship, the joint application process between NSCLC and the applicant for the 2011 fellowship would begin in spring or summer 2010. The preferred location for the Fellow is Los Angeles, although Oakland and Washington, D.C. may be possible.

The Project:  NSCLC staff would work with the applicant to prepare a fellowship application for a project of the applicant’s choosing. One potential arena is an Elder Income Rights Project focused on the historically neglected SSI program for low-income elders and individuals with disabilities. The program is crucial for many vulnerable populations. More than two out of every three people receiving SSI on the basis of age are women, one out of every three people applying for SSI on the basis of age speaks a language other than English, and a disproportionate percentage are African-American. Areas of concern within SSI that might be addressed by the Project are the need for modernization, the inadequate resources devoted to language assistance for a linguistically diverse population, and the flaws in due process protections. The Project could include any of the following: litigation and advocacy; development of a campaign to reform the Social Security Administration (SSA) appeals system; and development of training materials and issue briefs. The Fellow could also choose to focus his or her project on the needs of LGBT seniors, who suffer disproportionately from income-related policies and procedures. 

Other projects are possible within NSCLC’s additional areas of expertise, which include Medicaid, assisted living, and at-home options for long-term care; Medicare Part D; and issues affecting dual eligibles (those on both Medicare and Medicaid). NSCLC’s Herb Semmel Federal Rights Project also focuses on access to the courts for all underserved populations. NSCLC attorneys will work very closely with prospective fellowship applicants to develop a fellowship project that meshes NSCLC priorities to the applicant’s interests and talents.

Qualifications: The ideal candidate has high-caliber legal research and writing skills, a genuine and documented commitment to working for poor and underserved populations, and an ability to take initiative and work independently.  A commitment to a public interest career is extremely desirable. Previous experience or familiarity with income issues is helpful. Individuals with ties to low-income, racial/ethnic minority communities, and other underserved populations are encouraged to apply.

Applications:  Please send a cover letter, resume, law school transcript, writing sample, and three references to: Hiring Coordinator, NSCLC, 1330 Broadway, Suite 525, Oakland, CA 94612 or email oakland@nsclc.org.  No calls please.   Applicants are encouraged to apply ASAP. NSCLC is committed to diversity.