Legal Fellow, CSJ en Loyola University - New Orleans, LA

About the Department

The Center for Social Justice is a center based at Loyola University College of Law in New Orleans, Louisiana that provides capital appellate and post-conviction representation to indigent people on Louisiana’s death row, as well as juveniles facing sentences of life without parole. This position is a one-year fellowship that may be extended to a second year, for recent law grads interested in gaining experience representing individuals who have been sentenced to death. The fellow will be supervised by senior attorneys, and will have a substantial role in informing the litigation strategies, reviewing records, meeting with clients, conducting legal research, drafting appellate briefs, and mooting oral arguments.  Prior fellowship recipients have gone on to work in capital trial, appeal and post-conviction offices, as well as in academia and other employment opportunities. 

Position Duties

• Assist teams with all aspects of representation, including legal research and writing, file management, records collection, document review, filing legal pleadings, etc.
• Visitation of clients in prison
• Assist with investigation, including research and records review and witness interviewing 

• Other duties as assigned

Minimum Qualifications

• Minimum Juris Doctor degree from a U.S. accredited insitition. Current 3L or recent law school graduates are encrouaged to apply.
• Member Louisiana Bar or scheduled for next Louisiana bar examination within 6 months of successful completion of Juris Doctor degree.
• Excellent writing and oral advocacy skills
• Commitment to indigent criminal defense and the highest quality representation
• The ability to work well with varying co-counsel and support staff
• Commitment to work long hours when necessary

• Experience with direct criminal representation through clinic or internship work
• Experience as a judicial law clerk

• Ability to perform job duties with or without reasonable accommodations.