How does a Public Rights Project Fellow advance public rights?

States, cities, and tribes are on the front lines of protecting their residents against discrimination, fraud, and disenfranchisement. PRP fellows work with chronically under-resourced government law offices to expand enforcement efforts, protect their residents, and grow the impact of a city or state’s legal work. Their work will include developing new legal theories and enforcement strategies for offices to be more proactive and equitable in using the law to address their communities’ needs. Their work is also aimed at helping city, county, and state law enforcement agencies work more collaboratively on complex problems.

What are the advantages of becoming a Fellow?

• Leverage your unique background and legal experience for innovative work at the city and state government level.

• Become a leader in your community and gain access to leadership opportunities in state, local, and tribal governments.

• Develop groundbreaking impact litigation to advance justice for underserved communities.

• Bolster your hands-on litigation experience working alongside experienced litigators and leaders.

• During and after the fellowship, connect to a rich network of PRP staff, board members and affiliates to assist you in continuing your public service career.

When is the application deadline?

The application opens on March 29, 2021. The deadline to submit all parts of the application is May 24th 11:59 pm Eastern Time.

How long is the fellowship, and what are the start and end dates?

The fellowship runs for two years. The next fellowship will start in September 2021 and end in August 2023.

Who is eligible for the program?

Public Rights Project looks for attorneys with an active bar membership in a U.S. state, with approximately 3-5 years or more of legal experience, who have a deep interest in public service and government. Please see below for additional criteria we’ll consider in evaluating your application.

What are the pay and benefits in the program?

Fellows are paid an annual stipend to cover living expenses. Please note that stipends will vary by location and are calculated based on cost of living and the placement office’s average salaries. The average range is $60,000-$80,000.

Where are the fellows based?

Placement locations vary from year to year. During the 2021-23 cycle, fellows will be placed in the Offices of the Harris County Attorney, Los Angeles Civil, Human Rights & Equity Department, Massachusetts Attorney General, Oakland City Attorney, Philadelphia District Attorney, Pima County Attorney, Travis County District Attorney, and Washtenaw Prosecuting Attorney.

How are fellows selected?

Fellows are selected through a multi-round process that includes application review, and two rounds of virtual interviews. Public Rights Project staff, board members, and partners as well as staff in the host offices participate in the selection process.

What are we looking for in our fellows?

Fellows are selected using criteria that include:

• Strong desire to work in public service

• Litigation experience (any plaintiff-side litigation experience is a bonus)

• Wide-ranging interests in multiple areas of law

• Stellar research and writing skills

• Ability to understand, navigate, and achieve results in complex governmental organizations

• Commitment to building entrepreneurial atmosphere in state, local, and tribal governments

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills

• Demonstrated ability to achieve outcomes and results within deadlines and resource constraints

What is the application process?

The Public Rights Project Fellowship application process includes a written application and a series of interviews. We will also speak to professional references for finalist candidates.

Below are the key steps in our application process and the dates for each. Finalists will be notified of their acceptance in late July 2021 and will be asked to confirm their place in the fellowship within five business days.

       March 29, 2021 - Application Opens

       May 25, 2021 - Application Closes

       June 2021 - Semi-Finalist Candidate Interviews

       July 2021 - Finalist Candidate Interviews

       Late July 2021 - Fellowships Offered

       September 2021 - Fellowship Orientation

When will I meet the other fellows?

Right away! Fellows begin with a multi-day orientation with Public Rights Project in early September 2021 (virtual), followed by onboarding with their placement offices beginning later in the month. Orientation consists of in-depth training and workshops on topics pertinent to the fellowship, including:

• State, local, and tribal government structure

• Successful models for affirmative litigation

• Leadership in government

• Diversity, equity, and inclusion

What are typical responsibilities of a fellow?

Fellows will work alongside colleagues in their government offices on affirmative litigation (including new case generation and ongoing affirmative litigation), coalition building and community engagement, policy research, and other projects developed with their placement offices as needed. A fellow’s litigation docket will focus on affirmative rights enforcement work, which includes:

• Litigation, potential litigation, or other enforcement strategies in a proactive capacity, in which the agency is the plaintiff, potential plaintiff, or amici on the plaintiff’s side;

• Litigation or potential litigation in which the agency is the defendant or amici on the defendant’s side, but in which the agency is defending proactive policy choices that protect and/or expand the civil, economic, or environmental rights of residents. For example, if a city’s anti-discrimination is challenge in litigation, the fellow may work on defending the city in that litigation;

• Drafting legislation or commenting on proposed rulemaking that impacts the host office’s ability to enforce the law and protect its community; and

• Developing partnerships with community-based organizations and other offices to identify problems and craft creative initiatives that may serve as an alternative or complement to litigation. For example, guidance for state or local actors on serving immigrant populations.

Fellows also will publish at least one blog post, article or policy paper with PRP during their fellowship on a topic related to their work. For example, a fellow working on predatory lending may publish an issue brief identifying strategies and legal theories other state, local, and tribal governments may wish to use to address the problem in their communities.

How will my work vary based on my fellowship placement?

In all offices, fellows will pursue affirmative work and will be an integral part of strategic decision-making, not just regarding ongoing cases, but also in deciding which impact cases to bring.

Harris County Attorney’s Office (TX)

In Harris County, the third largest county in the United States, the Public Rights Project fellow will help launch the newly formed Affirmative Litigation Division. The fellow will work across other legal teams and directly handle investigations, community outreach, and litigation in ongoing affirmative matters and cases. Examples of affirmative litigation work include:

• Strategically expanding the affirmative litigation docket with a focus on environmental justice, consumer protection, and civil rights cases;

• Engaging federal legislation and regulations as well state legislation and policy to identify opportunities for advocacy on behalf of the county or as part of a coalition of local governments; and

• Reviewing and exploring important case developments throughout the country to bolster and develop an amicus practice within the county attorney’s office.

Los Angeles Civil, Human Rights & Equity Department (CA)

The Public Rights Project fellow will have the opportunity to help make history by building the legal operation of the City of Los Angeles’ first Civil Rights Department. The fellow will be placed specifically in the Discrimination Enforcement division, which investigates citizen discrimination complaints regarding private commerce, education, employment, and housing. Examples of enforcement work include:

• Investigating housing and employment cases with an eye towards identifying systemic and pattern discrimination issues;

• Engaging in community outreach to develop a strategic pipeline of community-informed and impactful work; and

• Developing policies and protocols to support complainants throughout every stage of the process.

Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office (MA)

As the Chief Law Enforcement office in Massachusetts, the Attorney General’s Office possesses broad authority to protect the rights of residents. Within the Civil Rights Division, the office enforces anti-discriminaiton laws as well as the exercise of civil rights in housing, employment, places of public accommodation, schools, and various other settings. In this placement, the Public Rights Project fellow will focus on:

• Algorithmic discrimination affecting access to housing, employment, and economic opportunities including goods, services, and credit;

• Housing discrimination evidenced by fair housing testing performed by partner organizations; and

• Racial profiling in police work as part of the enforcement of a newly enacted police reform statute.

Oakland City Attorney’s Office (CA)

In the Oakland City Attorney’s (OCA) Office, the fellow will be placed in the Community Lawyering and Civil Rights (CLCR) unit primarily, with cross-staffing planned on Housing Justice Initiative (HJI) and Neighborhood Law Corps (NLC) cases and campaigns as well. The fellow’s work will include the following priorities:

• Partnering on or leading existing and new investigations and lawsuits on environmental justice, workers’ rights, racial justice, and housing justice;

• Developing proactive and progressive non-litigation enforcement strategies (e.g. new local laws and policies);

• Forming close relationships with community leaders to deeply focus on the life, health, and safety issues that matter most to the community OCA serves; and

• Coordinating with partners across non-profit and philanthropic sectors to advance the missions of the units.

Philadelphia District Attorney's Office (PA)

The Public Rights Project fellow will be placed in the Worker Protection sub-unit within the Economic Crimes Unit of the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office. The fellow will work to further develop an emerging docket that is focused on pursuing the prosecution of wage theft and other economic security crimes. As part of the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, the Public Rights Project fellow will:

• Prosecute cases involving wage theft and other violations against vulnerable workers;

• Evaluate whether potential cases are appropriate for prosecution and work with DA detectives to conduct investigations;

• Develop a pipeline of cases for enforcement through community outreach and engagement; and

• Strengthen community partnerships and foster a deeper connection to worker rights advocates through community events, public trainings, and other endeavors.

Pima County Attorney’s Office (AZ)

Pima County has recently elected a new County Attorney that replaced a previously unbroken 40-year-long administration. The Public Rights Project fellow will work in both the Fraud unit to protect the finances of ordinary workers and consumers in the county, as well as address mass incarceration and racial disparity in the criminal justice system in the Conviction and Sentence Integrity unit. Examples of the fellow’s work include:

• Protecting the economic security of workers and consumers through impact litigation, individual prosecutions, mediation, and diversion;

• Develop a pipeline of cases for enforcement through community outreach and engagement; and

• Strengthening community partnerships and fostering a deeper connection to worker rights and consumer protection advocates through community events, trainings, and other endeavors.

Travis County District Attorney’s Office (TX)

In Travis County, the Public Rights Project fellow will be placed in the Special Prosecutions Division. Newly elected DA Jose Garza has made the development of wage theft enforcement a main priority for his office by targeting the most powerful bad actors and focusing on connecting the community. The fellow will focus this work by:

• Investigate and prosecute cases involve wage theft and other violations against vulnerable workers;

• Develop a pipeline of cases for enforcement through community outreach and engagement; and

• Strengthen community partnerships and foster a deeper connection to worker rights advocates through community events, public trainings, and other endeavors.

Washtenaw Prosecuting Attorney’s Office (MI)

Placed in the office of newly elected Prosecuting Attorney Eli Savit, the Public Rights Project fellow will help to create the office’s first-ever Economic Crimes Unit, which would focus on wage theft and corporate abuse. The fellow will help to bolster the office’s civil litigation and advocacy capacity, including through the development of amicus briefs for state and national issues. Among other things, the Public Rights Project fellow will:

• Investigate and prosecute cases involve wage theft and other violations against vulnerable workers;

• Develop a pipeline of cases for enforcement through community outreach and engagement; and

• Issue spot and cultivate advocacy opportunities for civil enforcement and litigation, especially in the economic security and consumer protection realms.

What are the bar membership requirements for each placement?

In general, host offices do not require applicants to be admitted to the bar of the state in which the office is located at the time of selection. Both PRP and the host offices expect that selected fellows will become admitted during the first year of their fellowship. In some states, depending on years or experience, selected fellows may be able to acquire admission through reciprocity.

All applicants should have a clear understanding of how they will obtain admission to the bar of the state in which the host office is located (if they are not yet admitted). Please refer to the applicable state rules, which are linked below, for more information.

       1. Harris County Attorney’s Office
       2. Los Angeles Civil, Human Rights & Equity Department
       3. Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office
       4. Oakland City Attorney’s Office
       5. Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office
       6. Pima County Attorney’s Office
       7. Travis County District Attorney’s Office
       8. Washtenaw Prosecuting Attorney’s Office

Who will I report to?

Fellows will report directly to their placement supervisor in the host government office. In addition to their day-to-day management, fellows will have monthly conference calls with PRP staff and will be paired with a mentor.

How does PRP prioritize diversity and inclusion?

Public Rights Project is committed to the principles and practices of equal employment opportunity. We aim to assemble an applicant pool that adequately represents the face of the world we live in. We believe that a variety of perspectives enrich the efficacy of the work of state, local, and tribal governments. We encourage applications from candidates with diverse backgrounds and experiences. These values are core to our application process, the PRP Fellowship, and the work that we do to support equitable enforcement at the state and local level.

Do I need to be a U.S. Citizen to apply?

No, U.S. citizenship is not a requirement. All Fellows must be authorized to work in the U.S. Public Rights Project welcomes and encourages people of all backgrounds to apply to the fellowship.