Closing Date: 13th December, 2024

Description:

The Illinois Solicitor General is seeking one or more recent law school graduates to serve in a limited term assignment as Appellate and Supreme Court Litigation Fellows. The Solicitor General is responsible for representing the State of Illinois before the U.S. Supreme Court and ensuring the excellence of the Attorney General's appellate practice. The Solicitor General also provides appellate advice to all divisions within the Attorney General's Office; oversees the preparation of briefs, petitions, and other papers filed by the Office in appellate courts, including the U.S. and Illinois Supreme Courts and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit; and argues selected appeals. The Fellows participate in and support the Solicitor General's full range of operations, and work with other attorneys in the Attorney General's Office on a variety of cases involving significant constitutional, statutory, and policy questions.

Responsibilities:
Duties include researching and advising on complex or novel legal issues; assisting with the review and preparation of recommendations for action in appellate matters, including filing or joining amicus curiae briefs and other multistate litigation; handling or assisting with the drafting of briefs and other court papers; and assisting with preparation for oral argument, including participating in moot courts. The Fellowship will begin in August/September 2025 and is one year in duration.

Qualifications:
The Fellowship is designed for junior lawyers who are committed to public service and have exceptional legal research and writing skills. The position is open to lawyers in their first three years of practice, including applicants who are current judicial law clerks, participants in government, academic, or public interest fellowships, and third-year law students at accredited law schools. Attorneys with at least one year of post-graduate experience, including a clerkship or fellowship, are preferred. Applicants must be Illinois Bar members or plan to take the Illinois Bar exam (or otherwise apply for Bar membership) prior to beginning the fellowship.