Law Clerkship

Join the largest American Muslim civil rights organization for first-hand experience working on a wide range of cases that serve clients from diverse backgrounds. Law clerks will assist in providing direct services to individuals impacted by discrimination and work on projects that highlight distinct civil rights issues, ranging from:

• Immigration assistance (e.g., naturalization, adjustment of status, asylum, and benefits delay).
• Interacting with local and federal law enforcement.
• Securing the rights of Muslims to practice their religion freely in the public sphere, schools, places of employment, prisons, and other institutions.

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Conduct intakes by communicating with/counseling a diverse group of callers and maintain detailed records of all communication.
• Research discrimination, constitutional, employment, immigration, and national security laws to support representation of and advocacy for clients.
• Draft legal documents, including, but not limited to, complaints, letters, and memos.
• Communicate with administrative agencies, attorneys, employers, and others.
• Participate in outreach efforts during religious services and community events, as well as through CAIR's Know Your Rights workshops and Citizenship Clinics.
• Undertake term-long research and advocacy projects, focusing on a host of issues, such as prisoners' rights, student bullying, law enforcement surveillance, and immigration reform.
• Compile and organize data for legal department projects.

All law clerks are required to assist in general duties, such as outreach, answering phones, and other office tasks. Law clerks will be asked to participate in events outside of normal business hours.

Qualifications:

• Current law students enrolled in a J.D./L.L.M. program or those who have completed one of these programs and are looking for a post-bar opportunity. Highly qualified undergraduate students may be considered.
• Past experience or interest in working with diverse clients who have faced discrimination
• Sound legal research, analytical, and writing skills, with one semester of legal research and writing preferred
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office platforms
• Excellent organizational and multi-tasking skills
• Passion and familiarity with the work that CAIR does

While CAIR-SFBA does not compensate law clerks, we encourage candidates to apply for funding through scholarships and/or fellowships. For more information, contact your law school career services office.

Clerkships typically last from 10-12 weeks, depending on the student's academic calendar. Hours for an academic term clerkship are 15 hours per week for a Fall or Spring clerkship and 30-35 hours for a Summer clerkship. CAIR-SFBA currently operates a hybrid schedule and requires clerks to work in-office a minimum of two days per week.

To Apply:

Please submit:

• A cover letter discussing your interest in the position, as well as CAIR and its mission. Make the case for the relevance of your experience to the key focus areas.
• Your resume.
• A writing sample.
• The names and contact information of three references.

CAIR-CA is an equal-opportunity employer and adheres to all federal, state, and local laws prohibiting employment discrimination.