Litigation Fellow (2026-28)

About The Lawyering Project

Founded in 2017, the Lawyering Project is a legal advocacy organization that blends traditional impact litigation with movement lawyering to promote reproductive health, rights, and justice throughout the United States. 

Laws that undermine reproductive health, rights, and justice deprive people of moral agency, rob us of control over our bodies, and compound other forms of oppression like racism, sexism, and poverty.  Our mission is to eliminate these laws and the harmful impacts they have on people’s lives.  We are especially focused on laws that limit the availability or affordability of abortion care; contribute to disparities in reproductive health outcomes; embody gender-based stereotypes; or discriminate against people based on their reproductive decisions. 

We envision a society with laws that enable each of us to make decisions about intensely personal matters like sex, pregnancy, family, and healthcare based on our own beliefs and values, and ensure that we all have access to safe pregnancy care, safe abortion care, and safe communities for our families.

The Lawyering Project has three legal programs: Litigation, Access & Innovation, and Pro Bono Initiatives.  Our Litigation Program leverages the courts to eliminate barriers to reproductive health services and promote equity in access to care. Our Access & Innovation Program provides legal advice and technical assistance to healthcare providers, researchers, abortion funds, and others who facilitate access to abortion care. Our Pro Bono Initiatives Program operates the Abortion Defense Network, a collaborative effort by nonprofit organizations, private law firms, and government officials aimed at ensuring everyone threatened with liability for providing or supporting abortion care in post-Roe America has access to high-quality, values-aligned lawyers.  For further information, visit https://lawyeringproject.org and https://abortiondefensenetwork.org.    

In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned nearly fifty years of precedent recognizing abortion access as a fundamental right, the Lawyering Project is committed to supporting all people seeking to obtain, provide, or facilitate abortion access while navigating new obstacles and legal risks. We will seize this disruption of precedent as an opportunity to reshape reproductive rights jurisprudence, situating it on a stronger and more progressive foundation. We will continue to work closely with our partners in the reproductive health, rights, and justice movement, as well as members of the private bar, to realize our vision for a more just and equitable future. 

The Lawyering Project is a non-profit organization that qualifies for tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.  We have an all-remote staff with approximately two dozen full-time employees who may be based anywhere in the United States.  Our annual operating budget is around $6 million.   

About The Role

The Lawyering Project is seeking a Litigation Fellow for a two-year fellowship to begin in September 2026. The Litigation Fellow will play a vital role in supporting the Lawyering Project’s Litigation Program. They will participate in all aspects of litigation, from case development through appeal. Additionally, the Litigation Fellow will help to provide legal advice and technical assistance to clients. This is an entry-level position, and the ideal candidate is someone early in their legal career who is eager to develop new skills and expertise while working to advance reproductive health, rights, and justice. 

The Litigation Fellow is an exempt position. Exempt employees are expected to work the time needed to complete key assignments and related tasks on schedule. The position is term-limited to two years.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

The essential duties and responsibilities for this role, include but are not limited to:

• Conduct legal research, analysis, and writing;
• Participate in all stages of litigation in both trial and appellate courts; 
• Cite-check and copy-edit briefs, legal memos, and other legal documents; 
• Assist with court filings and proceedings;  
• Assist in providing legal advice and technical assistance to Lawyering Project clients; 
• Stay up to date on developments in relevant areas of the law; and
• Contribute to an equitable and inclusive work culture that encourages and values diversity. 

Other Duties and Responsibilities

• Assist with other legal work on an as-needed basis
• Assist in maintaining strategic partnerships with allied organizations; and
• Represent the Lawyering Project at conferences, convenings, and speaking engagements

Education and Experience

The Litigation Fellow must have:

• A J.D. or equivalent degree
• A keen interest in developing litigation skills. 
• A commitment to promoting reproductive justice. 
• Knowledge of reproductive rights jurisprudence and the reproductive health, rights, and justice movement. 
• Skill in legal research, analysis, and writing; cite-checking; and using the Bluebook
• The ability to take initiative; manage a variety of tasks; meet deadlines; work well under pressure; and demonstrate attention to detail
• Knowledge of reproductive rights jurisprudence and the reproductive health, rights, and justice movement
• Skill in legal research, analysis, and writing; cite-checking; and using the Bluebook
• Ability to take initiative; manage a variety of tasks; meet deadlines; work well under pressure; and demonstrate attention to detail

Additional Requirements

• Must be able to travel domestically on an airplane 6-12 times per year

Physical Demands

• Must be able to travel domestically on an airplane 6-12 times per year. 

Organizational Relationships

• The Litigation Fellow reports to a Senior Counsel or Co-Director and works closely with other staff members, clients, co-counsel, and allied organizations.   

Application Requirements

The application must include the following materials to be considered:

• Resume
• Cover Letter: Please include a cover letter describing your legal research experience. Please highlight specific projects or cases you have worked on and detail the types of legal issues you have researched and the methodologies you have used. In a section of your cover letter containing no more than 200 words, please describe the perspectives and experiences that you would bring to the Lawyering Project that are important to you and/or relevant to our work. 

As finalists progress in the application process, other assessments evaluating knowledge, skills, and abilities may be assigned. Applications must be submitted no later than January 2, 2026, and we expect to make an offer by March 1, 2026. 

Compensation

The salary for a Litigation Fellow candidate with 1-2 years of relevant work experience is $95,000. The Lawyering Project has a fixed salary scale based on job responsibilities, education, and experience. A copy of this scale is available at https://lawyeringproject.org/lp-salary-scales_2024/.  

Benefits

The Lawyering Project offers a robust benefits package that includes:

• 100% employer sponsored health insurance plans (medical, dental, and vision)
• Disability and AD&D Life insurance
• Health Spending Accounts (HSA) and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) for health, dependent care, and transportation
• (401)k retirement savings plan with 4% employer match
• Paid vacation, holiday, and sick days
• Paid parental, family, and medical leave
• Annual professional development stipend and reimbursement for state bar membership fees

Remote Work Environment

This role is a full-time exempt position that sometimes requires work during evenings and weekends to complete key assignments and related tasks on schedule. This position may be based anywhere within the United States and has the option to work from home or from office space provided by the Lawyering Project.