The Equal Justice Society (“EJS”) is transforming the nation’s consciousness on race through law, social science, and the arts. EJS works to dismantle structural and institutional racism and advance robust equal protection under the Fourteenth Amendment. Our three-pronged advocacy approach combines litigation and other legal advocacy, outreach and coalition building, and education through effective messaging and communication strategies. EJS’s overarching strategy is to broaden anti-discrimination policy, practice, and jurisprudence to include strategies that combat unconscious and structural bias and to promote policies that eliminate disparate outcomes for our system-impacted community partners.
EJS is in an exciting time of transition. In 2022, our co-founder and President of 22 years, iconic civil rights leader Eva Paterson, passed the torch to our new President Lisa Holder. Known for her groundbreaking appointment to and role as a member of the California Reparations Task Force, Lisa brings to EJS 22 years of experience as a civil rights litigator, scholar, and teacher. Under Lisa’s leadership, EJS will build on its dynamic practice of civil rights to dismantle discriminatory school discipline and the school-to-prison pipeline, create a just and equitable legal system, expand economic opportunity for all, and combat white supremacy and the extremist forces that threaten the multiracial democracy for which we all should strive.
EJS has one to two internship positions available for summer 2024. EJS is looking for law interns to work on legal analysis and writing projects, policy advocacy, and public education. Intern duties will likely include providing or assisting with implicit bias and equity-focused trainings, and participating in counsel and client strategy meetings. EJS seeks applicants with a demonstrated commitment to racial and social justice who are able to work both collaboratively and independently and who are strongly motivated to develop their written and oral legal advocacy skills. The positions are open to law students who have completed at least their 1L year. The work set up may be remote or hybrid subject to COVID-19 public health requirements/protocols and related internal EJS policies. For more information, please visit http://www.equaljusticesociety.org or email jobs@equaljusticesociety.org.
| Location: | Oakland, California or remote. |
| Compensation: | Applicants must first seek funding through their law school internship or field placement programs, scholarships, or another third-party source. EJS will provide supplemental funding such that a clerk’s total compensation is at a rate commensurate to $8,000 for a full-time schedule (35 hrs/week) for 10 weeks. |
| Rolling Deadline: | EJS will review law clerk applications and will hire on a rolling basis until the positions are filled or February 28, 2024, whichever is earlier. We highly recommend early application, but 1L students should comply with their law school’s guidelines regarding applying for summer positions. |
| Application: | Please email (1) cover letter, (2) resume, (3) writing sample (a legal memorandum that is no more than 15 pages), and (4) a list of three references to jobs@equaljusticesociety.org with “Summer 2024 Law Clerk Application” in the subject line. |
EJS is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from all qualified people including women, people of color, people with disabilities, religious minorities, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people.
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