Fall 2027 Fellowship Sponsorship, Disability Rights Program

ABOUT THE JOB 

The ACLU invites rising third-year law students and law graduates to apply for a sponsorship opportunity to work with us as a Legal Fellow for up to one/ two year(s). The Disability Rights Program of the National office in San Francisco, CA or Washington, D.C. seeks applicants to consider for a sponsored fellowship such as Equal Justice Works or other public interest fellowships to begin in the fall of 2027. This is a hybrid role that has in-office requirements of two (2) days per week or eight (8) days per month.  

OVERVIEW 

The ACLU invites rising third-year law students and law graduates to apply for a sponsorship opportunity to work with us as a Legal Fellow for up to two years. The Disability Rights Program of the National office in Washington, D.C., and San Francisco, California seeks applicants to consider for a sponsored fellowship such as Skadden, Equal Justice Works, or other public interest fellowships to begin in the fall of 2027. This is a hybrid role that has in-office requirements of two (2) days per week or eight (8) days per month.

The Disability Rights Program’s mission is to achieve an America free of discrimination against people with disabilities; where people with disabilities are valued, integrated members of society who have full access to education, homes, health care, jobs, families, voting, and civic engagement. We fight to ensure that people with disabilities are no longer segregated into, and over-represented in, civil and criminal institutions such as nursing homes, psychiatric hospitals, jails, and prisons.

The ACLU has fought for decades for the rights of people with disabilities—achieving key wins to stop coerced mental health treatment and unnecessary institutionalization, as well as playing a role in the drafting of the ADA. In 2012, the ACLU established the Disability Rights Project. DRP litigates and advocates to use disability rights laws to end the overrepresentation of people with disabilities in the criminal legal system, including pursuing first of its kind litigation to ensure that municipalities provide trained, non-police responders to people experiencing mental health crises. We also litigate and advocate to promote alternatives to guardianship and to secure equal access to the ballot. We also provide support to affiliates and the National office on disability rights issues that intersect with core civil liberties. While the ACLU’s Legal Department is headquartered in New York, the Disability Rights Program is housed in the San Francisco and Washington, D.C. offices, and fellowship candidates may be based in either location.

We will review applications on a rolling basis, but priority consideration will be given to those who submit applications by June 01, 2026. 

This position is part of a collective bargaining unit. It is represented by ACLU Staff United (ASU).  

WHAT YOU'LL DO 

Reporting to the Project Director, the Fellow will develop and pursue a litigation and advocacy project at the intersection of disability rights and civil liberties. We are particularly interested in Fellowship projects that aim to: 1) challenge discrimination against people with disabilities in emergency response programs and services; 2) increase access to treatment and harm reduction services for people with substance use disorders; 3) challenge efforts to involuntarily treat and institutionalize people with disabilities, such as those stemming from recent executive orders that encourage involuntary commitment of unhoused disabled veterans and people with substance use disorders; 4) challenge school policing and disciplinary practices that discriminate against students with disabilities;  or 5) use disability rights laws to challenge voter suppression and make voting more accessible to people with disabilities. However, we are also open to other project proposals. The Fellow will work closely with DRP to craft their project proposal, and to implement their project. However, we are also open to other project proposals. The Fellow will work closely with DRP to craft their project proposal, and to implement their project. 

The Fellow must secure external funding, please email [email protected] for funding requirements. Our staff will work with candidates to develop their proposals for submission, helping tailor the proposal to address an important disability rights and civil liberties issue.

YOUR DAY TO DAY 

• Conduct legal research and analysis and develop theories to support new litigation projects 
• Draft legal memoranda, pleadings, affidavits, motions, and briefs 
• Interview witnesses and potential clients 
• Participate in discovery and trial practice 
• Draft and edit public education and non-litigation advocacy materials 
• Provide support and assistance to ACLU affiliates and cooperating attorneys 
• Help manage summer legal internship program and supervise student interns 
• Engage in special projects and other duties as assigned  

FUTURE ACLU'ERS WILL 

• Be committed to advancing the mission of the ACLU 
• Center and embed the principles of equity, inclusion and belonging in their work by demonstrating commitment to diversity with an approach that respects and values multiple perspectives 
• Be committed to work collaboratively and respectfully toward resolving obstacles and conflicts  

WHAT YOU'LL BRING 

• J.D. or expected to receive a J.D. by the spring of 2027 
• Admission to practice in San Francisco, CA or Washington, D.C (dependent on work location); if not currently admitted, agreement to become admitted within one year of hire 
• Demonstrated commitment to public interest law, civil liberties, criminal justice, and racial justice 
• Willingness to work closely with Disability Rights Program through the funding application process 
• Excellent research, writing, and verbal communication skills 
• Demonstrated ability to conduct complex legal analysis and fact-finding 
• Excellent interpersonal skills and a proven ability to work independently as well as within a team 
• Self-motivated with the ability to take initiative, manage a variety of tasks and see projects through to completion  

COMPENSATION 

The ACLU has a litigator scale that determines pay for attorneys in our Legal Department. The range of salaries are the following, based on year of law school graduation (please consult the hiring manager for specific salary details, based on individual circumstances). 

• 0-2 years since law school graduation: $96,069 - $120,009 
• 3-5 years since law school graduation: $134,414 - $158,579 
• 6-10 years since law school graduation: $165,839 - $187,087 
• 11-15 years since law school graduation: $190,585 - $201,403 
• 16-20 years since law school graduation: $203,304 - $208,540 
• 21-25 years since law school graduation: $209,595 - $213,890 
• 26-30+ years since law school graduation: $214,920 - $219,104 

The ACLU is committed to equity, transparency, and clarity in pay. These salaries are reflective of positions based in New York, NY, where our National Offices are headquartered.  Salaries are subject to a regional pay adjustment if authorization is granted to work outside of the location listed in this posting.  

For details on our pay structure, please visit: 

https://www.aclu.org/careers/ACLU_Geographic_Pay_Structure-July_2024.pdf  

WHY THE ACLU 

For over 100 years, the ACLU has worked to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of the United States. Whether it’s ending mass incarceration, achieving full equality for the LGBTQ+ community, establishing new privacy protections for our digital age, or preserving the right to vote or the right to have an abortion, the ACLU takes up the toughest civil liberties cases and issues to defend all people. 

We know that great people make a great organization. We value our people and know that what we offer is essential not just their work, but to their overall well-being.  

At the ACLU, we offer a broad range of benefits, which include: 

• Time away to focus on the things that matter with a generous paid time-off policy 

• Focus on your well-being with comprehensive healthcare benefits (including medical, dental and vision coverage, parental leave, gender affirming care & fertility treatment) 

• Plan for your retirement with 401k plan and employer match 

• We support employee growth and development through annual professional development funds, internal professional development programs and workshops  

OUR COMMITMENT TO ACCESSIBILITY, EQUITY, DIVERSITY & INCLUSION 

Accessibility, equity, diversity and inclusion are core values of the ACLU and central to our work to advance liberty, equality, and justice for all. For us diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion are not just check-the-box activities, but a chance for us to make long-term meaningful change.  We are a community committed to learning and growth, humility and grace, transparency and accountability. We believe in a collective responsibility to create a culture of belonging for all people within our organization – one that respects and embraces difference; treats everyone equitably; and empowers our colleagues to do the best work possible. We are as committed to anti-oppression, anti-ableism, and anti-racism internally as we are externally. Because whether we’re in the courts or in the office, we believe ‘We the People’ means all of us. 

With this commitment in mind, we strongly encourage applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status and record of arrest or conviction, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.    

The ACLU is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual with a disability and need assistance applying online, please email [email protected]. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.