Summary

The Roderick & Solange MacArthur Justice Center (MJC) invites third-year law students and recent graduates to apply for sponsorship by MJC’s Illinois office in Chicago to work as a Legal Fellow on a project challenging solitary confinement practices in the Midwest. At this time, MJC can only accept applications from potential fellows who are eligible for post-graduate funding from their law school.

The MacArthur Justice Center Legal Fellow must be passionate about the MJC mission, eager to learn, and interested in participating in MJC-wide efforts, while also managing an externally supported project.

The MJC Legal Fellowship is designed to facilitate learning for recent law school graduates. The Legal Fellow must conduct their work under close supervision and direction of a Director, Senior Counsel, or Attorney, including in instances where the Legal Fellow is focused on a particular project. A Legal Fellow is not Counsel of Record in any litigation, but may be afforded significant responsibilities such as drafting briefs and presenting argument under close supervision.

About the Roderick & Solange MacArthur Justice Center

The Roderick and Solange MacArthur Justice Center (MJC) is a national, nonprofit civil rights law firm. We represent people who have been harmed by America’s criminal legal system, seeking to vindicate their rights, hold people with power to account for their actions, and reshape the law going forward. We do this primarily through cutting-edge litigation and advocacy across the country, on end-to-end issues in the criminal legal system, from policing, to prosecutorial discretion, to rights of indigent defendants, to mass incarceration, to prison conditions, to wrongful convictions and the death penalty.  For more information on our work, visit www.macarthurjustice.org.

The criminal legal system disproportionately harms people of color, people from low-income communities, people who were formerly incarcerated, people with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ individuals. We strongly encourage people who identify within these and other communities underrepresented in the legal profession to apply. All applicants must have and be committed to the cultural competence required to work with clients, co-workers, and community partners who come from different backgrounds and experiences.

Role & Responsibilities

Litigation and Project Work: 

Under the direction of an experienced attorney:

• Implement project challenging solitary confinement;

• Participate in all stages of MJC litigation in trial or appellate courts, including:

• Case development and investigation;
• Client outreach;
• Review documents, in the record and/or as part of discovery;
• Engaging in written discovery and taking depositions;
• Legal research and brief-writing;
• Trial and hearing preparation and presentation;
• Supporting settlement efforts, where appropriate;
• Collaborating with co-counsel and conducting meet-and-confer with opposing counsel.

Learning:

• Collaborate with other MJC fellows and staff to share learnings;
• Participate in meetings and trainings;
• Build and sustain relationships and professional network.

Other Job Duties:

• Attend MJC organization-wide meetings and regular office planning meetings;
• Participate in organization and office-wide trainings.

Experience & Qualifications

Education:

Bachelor’s Degree and J.D. required

Skills and Experience:

• Experience in civil rights litigation or criminal legal system reform.
• Ability to conduct complex legal analysis and fact-finding.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work both independently and within a supportive team environment.
• Strong organizational skills, including the ability to follow-through on assignments independently, to manage several projects and deadlines at once, and to be flexible in the event of changing priorities and deadlines;
• Excellent writing, editing, and oral communication skills;
• Very close attention to detail and a commitment to completing tasks quickly and thoroughly;
• Ability to work creatively and effectively as part of a cohesive team to develop new legal initiatives;
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to engage with clients and others in the community;
• Experience using computer systems and databases and willingness to learn internal programs;
• Meticulous record and time-keeping skills; and
• Ability to create a working environment that is inclusive, equitable and welcoming, and a willingness to honor the diverse experiences and perspectives of MJC staff and clients.

License and Certifications:

Admission to the state bar, or eligibility for admission upon hiring.

Technology:

• Proficiency with Microsoft Products, including SharePoint, OneDrive, Word, Excel, and Outlook required
• Proficiency with Adobe Pro and case management and trial presentation software, such as Relativity, CaseMap, and Clio preferred

Travel: 

Limited travel, as required for casework and organization-wide meetings and training.

Location: 

Office/ Hybrid/Remote/Onsite

Compensation:

Fellows will be paid according to the following salary scale. If a fellow’s source of funding is less than the scale, MJC will provide a supplement.

TO APPLY

For priority consideration, all of the following materials should be submitted through MJC’s application portal by April 2, 2025.

• A cover letter describing your interest and experience. Please also indicate the source and anticipated amount of your fellowship funding.
• Resume.
• A list of three references.
• Law school transcript (unofficial is fine).
• Writing sample. Please include a cover note explaining any editing