MUNGER, TOLLES & OLSON LEGAL FELLOWSHIP

MUNGER, TOLLES & OLSON
LEGAL FELLOWSHIP
JOB ANNOUNCEMENT

Date Opened: May 15, 2024

Title: Munger, Tolles & Olson Fellow
Status: Exempt, Full-time
Compensation: $82,500
Reports to: Program Director, Racial Justice
Duration: Two Years
Location: Currently remote, with San Francisco office open as an option. Hybrid remote/office likely in future. Must be located in California within commute distance of San Francisco Bay Area.

Are you an attorney who is passionate about racial justice and is interested in litigating and advocating to dismantle unjust systems? We invite you to consider joining us!

About the Fellowship

Thanks to the generosity of the law firm Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP (MTO), Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area (LCCRSF) seeks a skilled attorney with excellent written and oral advocacy skills and a demonstrated commitment to racial and economic justice issues to become LCCRSF’s inaugural MTO Legal Fellow. This is a two-year fellowship position. The MTO Fellow will work closely with an exceptional team that includes a Program Director and two staff attorneys, and will have opportunities to meet and network with MTO attorneys.

About LCCRSF

As one of the most enduring civil rights institutions on the West Coast, LCCRSF works to dismantle systems of oppression and racism and to build an equitable and just society. Formed in 1968 to bridge the legal community and the Civil Rights Movement, we’re known for advancing the rights of people of color, immigrants, refugees, and low-income individuals. We also invest in legal fellows and support a network of over 1,000 active pro bono attorneys and volunteers. We are in this work for the long haul. Our goal is to make this work sustainable, to rest as needed and take care of each other and our communities, so we can be fierce in the face of power through our core issue areas of Racial Justice, Immigrant Justice, and Economic Justice. Learn more at lccrsf.org.

About the Racial Justice Team

As part of our racial and economic justice work, LCCRSF is drawing on its years of experience to meet the demands of a moment defined by a post-pandemic landscape, the national reckoning in response to police brutality, and oppressive systems of wealth extraction designed to target low-income Black and Brown communities. We take an integrated advocacy approach by combining cutting-edge impact litigation with targeted advocacy campaigns designed to achieve measurable wins in the fight for racial and economic justice. LCCRSF works in concert with movement groups and grassroots allies. Some of our recent litigation and advocacy victories include:

• Debt Collective v. Judicial Council of California, a case against the California courts for running a profit scheme that extracted hundreds of millions of dollars from low-income Black and Brown Californians for profit; our litigation and advocacy helped galvanize AB-199, a new law that eliminated more than $1 billion in illegally imposed court debts;
• Coalition on Homelessness v. City and County of San Francisco, securing a historic preliminary injunction against San Francisco’s draconian practice of policing homeless residents who have committed no crime but sleeping in public amidst the City’s massive affordable housing shortage;
• Caldwell v. Bad Boys Bail Bonds, winning a decisive appellate ruling invalidating
• $30+ million in illegal bail debts for the families of arrestees, and declaring that unscrupulous bail bond companies must honor consumer protection laws;
• Hundreds of curfew citations dismissed in Sacramento and San Jose in the wake of George Floyd protests. Filed litigation for people injured by the violent tactics of law enforcement to prevent future police violence and get recompense for those harmed in White v. City of Sacramento; and
• COH v. SFMTA, a California Court of Appeal decision that is the first appellate opinion nationally to declare that warrantless poverty tows—the practice of seizing and selling low-income people’s vehicles just because they cannot afford to pay late parking tickets—are unconstitutional. This litigation victory dovetails with ongoing legislative advocacy in the form of AB-1082, a bill we are sponsoring to end poverty tows and reform traffic ticket collections.

By being grounded in community and listening to our clients and grassroots partners
across the Bay Area, we are able to identify the greatest needs and how our expertise can best be used to fill critical gaps. We are thinking strategically and creatively about how we can best mobilize pro bono partners and innovate nimble responses to the most pressing civil rights issues of our time.

Your Work

Impact Litigation (70%)

Serve as counsel on large impact cases in our current civil rights docket, including legal research, drafting and reviewing filings and correspondence, discovery, motion practice, trial advocacy, and appellate advocacy, all under the mentorship of more senior attorneys. Engage with pro bono law firm partners and co-counsel at other nonprofit institutions in the Bay Area to collaborate on ongoing litigation matters.
Help investigate racial and economic justice issues for impact litigation and policy advocacy, including investigation of cases and strengthening the organization’s ties with community partners and clients who best understand which issues are top priority and the remedies needed.

Policy and Advocacy (25%)

Engage in legislative and administrative advocacy, such as drafting of regulations and legislation, meetings with client organizations, representation of groups before administrative and legislative bodies, and technical assistance to policy makers related to LCCRSF’s ongoing litigation.

External Partnerships and Communication (5%)

Seek opportunities to engage in public education and media advocacy consistent with our identified program strategies and in consultation with Communications staff. Meet and network with MTO attorneys.

Essential Qualifications

• 1-2 years of post-graduate legal experience with at least some direct experience or involvement with impact litigation matters;
• Must have California law license or plan to sit for July 2024 California bar exam;
• Experienced in working with/ties to low-income communities of color;
• Excellent oral and written communication skills and a desire to hone core litigation skills; and
• Collaborative team-player who will work cooperatively across a team of people from diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives.

Salary, Benefits, Work location

This fellowship is a full-time, exempt, two-year position with a salary of $82,500/year. Full benefits package includes 100% paid medical + 80% for dependents, phone and internet reimbursement, wellness bonus, vacation, sick time, paid holidays, short Fridays, and winter break (office closure during the last week of the calendar year).

Our office is based on downtown San Francisco but we have a flexible remote policy that accommodates remote work the majority of the time unless our work calls for in-person outreach and communication with the clients and communities we serve. We do not yet have a target date for return to the office, but we expect to offer, at minimum, part-time remote work. While remote, employees may not work outside CA for more than 30 consecutive days at a time. Employees must be fully vaccinated according to CDC COVID-19 guidelines for in-person work.

General working hours are 9am-5pm, M-F. LCCRSF is woman- and BIPOC-led, with 28 staff. We are flexible, family-friendly, and value health, wellness and balance. We follow ADA guidelines - reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with different abilities to perform the essential functions.

Working Environment and Conditions

The working conditions described here are representative of those that must be met to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. While performing the duties of this position, the employee must be able to remain in a stationary position, constantly operate a computer, and must have the ability to communicate information and ideas so others will understand. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions.

To Apply

Applications will be considered on a rolling basis until June 30, 2024. Applicants are strongly encouraged to apply early and should submit: 1) a cover letter; 2) a resume; 3) contact information for a minimum of three references; and 4) two writing samples, including ideally at least one motion, brief, or research memorandum. These materials can be sent by email to: [email protected] (w/ “MTO Fellow” in the subject line). Questions about the position can also go to that email.

In your cover letter, in addition to describing your interest in the position and qualifications, please respond to the following question: What in your background and experience has prepared you to work for an organization dedicated to advancing racial equity and justice? Feel free to think broadly about your response, applying professional or personal experiences.

Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area thrives as an inclusive/equal opportunity employer. People of all backgrounds and walks of life are encouraged to apply