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Clifford Chance Foundation Fellow, Legal

Brooklyn, New York

About the team:

Vera's Legal Department provides comprehensive in-house legal services to the organization, including each of its administrative departments, initiatives, and projects, and to its Board of Trustees.

The Clifford Chance Foundation Fellowship at Vera, generously funded by the Clifford Chance Foundation, will permit one Fellow to spend a year in residence as a full-time member of Vera’s Legal Department, working closely with Vera’s Chief Legal Officer and staff. The one-year Fellowship term will begin in early September 2026 and is open to recent law graduates; law students graduating in 2026 are strongly encouraged to apply.

About the Fellowship:

The Clifford Chance Foundation Fellow will be an integral part of the team providing comprehensive in-house legal services to the organization, as well as having the opportunity to work directly with a Vera initiative.

Over the course of the year, the Clifford Chance Foundation Fellow will receive on-the-job training in nonprofit compliance; negotiation of a wide gamut of agreements (grants, government procurement, memoranda of understanding, licenses, independent contractor agreements, teaming agreements); lobbying law and regulation; and employment law. Just as critically, the Fellow will gain experience as part of the team providing strategic advice and counsel to projects, with a particular focus on Vera’s Opening Doors and Unlocking Potential initiatives, which works to expand access to quality education for those incarcerated, and housing and employment for those with conviction histories. The Fellow will assist with researching legal and regulatory questions confronting this national project that operates hand-in-hand with state agencies to increase educational opportunities for people in prison.

One fellowship will be awarded to a recent U.S. law school graduate. Candidates will be assessed based on their scholarship, leadership, and commitment to practicing in the field of nonprofit law. The ideal applicant will have a strong interest in the operations of nonprofit organizations and a broad-based curiosity about potentially unfamiliar legal matters, as Vera is known for its innovative and entrepreneurial approach. An interest in the substantive areas in which Vera works (including criminal justice, juvenile justice, and immigration), and in non-profit tax issues, employment law, and policy, is a plus.

What qualifications are we looking for?

The Clifford Chance Foundation Fellowship is open exclusively to recent graduates of accredited U.S. law schools.

Location:

Please note this role will report to our Industry City, Brooklyn office. Vera employees adhere to a hybrid schedule and are in-office on an alternating schedule that generally amounts to 10 days per month.

Compensation and Benefits:

The compensation for this position is $75,000, plus excellent benefits

Application Process:

Please submit the following materials by February 9:

  • A cover letter of 700-1000 words describing what you would bring to the Clifford Chance Foundation Fellowship (including relevant skills, work experience, background, and personal traits) and how the Fellowship would further your career goals. This letter should be addressed to the CCF Fellowship Committee.
  • A resume.
  • An official law school transcript.
  • Two letters of recommendation, from any law school adviser; law school professor; or current or former employer.

Finalists will be asked to submit a brief legal writing sample.

Applications may also be faxed to:

ATTN: People, Place, and Culture / Clifford Chance Foundation Fellow, Legal
Vera Institute of Justice
34 35th St, Suite 4-2A, Brooklyn, NY 11232
Fax: (212) 941-9407
Please use only one method (online, mail or fax) of submission.
No phone calls, please. Only applicants selected for interviews will be contacted.

Vera is an equal opportunity / affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without unlawful discrimination based on race, color, creed, national origin, sex, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, military status, prior record of arrest or conviction, citizenship status, current employment status, or caregiver status. 

Vera works to advance justice, particularly racial justice, in an increasingly multicultural country and globally connected world. We value diverse experiences, including with regard to educational background and justice system contact, and depend on a diverse staff to carry out our mission. 

For more information about Vera, please visit www.vera.org.

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