Recent Grads: AmeriCorps Legal Fellow Position Available

 Announcement:

AmeriCorps Legal Fellow Position Available

Position:

The Mississippi Center for Justice seeks applicants for an AmeriCorps Legal Fellow position to be funded by the Corporation for National and Community Service (administered by Equal Justice Works) and the Mississippi Center for Justice (MCJ). Beginning between August and September, 2011, the fellow will work at MCJ’s Jackson office on foreclosure prevention.

Responsibilities:

The fellowship will focus on foreclosure prevention, including related client advocacy and litigation.  The Legal Fellow will develop leadership and management skills as well as a broad network of partnerships. S/he will work in partnership with housing counselors and pro bono attorneys to assist clients who are in danger of losing their homes. S/he will manage outreach, legal clinics, law student interns, teams of volunteer law students, and pro bono attorneys.

Requirements:

Applicants must be self-motivated, highly productive, work well in a team, absorb and process information proficiently, write well, be flexible and exhibit a positive attitude in the ever-changing arena of public interest law.  Interaction with law students, attorneys, the Bar Association and related entities, law school personnel, media, and national and local partners will require effective communication skills.  Applicants must be law school graduates; those who are licensed in Mississippi; are recently graduated and are sitting for the Bar in July; or who are able to sit for the Bar at the next available time are preferred.

Program:

MCJ opened its doors in 2003, giving Mississippi a critical capacity that it lacked for more than a decade:  a home grown, non-profit public interest law firm that pursues racial and economic justice through advocacy for systemic change. The Mississippi Center for Justice employs a community lawyering approach that advances specific social justice campaigns in partnership with national and local organizations and community leaders. Specific program areas include housing, access to healthcare, consumer protection, and education.  MCJ currently has offices in Jackson and Biloxi, Mississippi, and plans are underway to open a third office in the Mississippi Delta.

Stipend and Benefits:

The AmeriCorps Legal Fellows donate their time to the community while experiencing the opportunity of a life time.

The AmeriCorps Legal Fellow’s compensation is $40,400, which includes:

  A living allowance of $24,200; and

  $16,200 housing allowance

Other Benefits

  Full medical benefits;

  Life insurance, dental insurance, unemployment insurance;

  $5,550 AmeriCorps Legal Education Award upon successful completion of service;

  Student loan forbearance and interest accrual payment for qualified student loans upon successful completion of service;

  Participation in Equal Justice Works training opportunities and conferences, as applicable; and

  Mississippi State Bar dues, if any.

Application Process:

Applications will be accepted until the positions are filled. Electronic applications are encouraged.  Applicants should send a letter of interest, resume, three professional references, and a writing sample, if available, to :

Beth Orlansky

Advocacy Director and AmeriCorps State Site Supervisor

Mississippi Center for Justice

PO Box 1023

Jackson, MS  39215-1023

601-352-2269

F 601-352-4769

borlansky@mscenterforjustice.org

The Mississippi Center for Justice is an equal opportunity employer; minorities, women, and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply.