Systemic Advocacy Fellow (Hybrid)

Description:

Legal Aid DC seeks a Systemic Advocacy Fellow to begin September 2026. This is an internally funded position. The Fellowship will be for one year.

Since 1932, Legal Aid has provided civil legal assistance to clients in individual cases and engaged in systemic reform. Currently, we provide individual representation in consumer law, domestic violence/family law, housing, immigration, public benefits, and appellate matters. We also help individuals with the collateral consequences of their involvement with the criminal justice system. From the experiences of our clients, we identify opportunities for law reform, public policy advocacy, and systemic impact and appellate litigation.

Legal Aid believes that meaningful pursuit of our anti-poverty mission requires an unwavering commitment to racial justice and equity. We aspire both to reflect the rich racial diversity of the communities we serve and to value, respect, and empower our staff and clients to be effective agents of change. For more information about Legal Aid, please visit our website, www.LegalAidDC.org.

About Systemic Reform
Legal Aid DC's Systemic Advocacy and Law Reform team identifies issues that affect our client community at large. The Systemic Team includes both non-litigation and litigation advocacy tools to enact structural change: policy advocacy, community engagement, impact litigation, and appellate litigation.

The Fellow will mainly work in Legal Aid's main NW office and our community office in SE Washington, DC. Occasionally, work may be performed at other community-based sites. Legal Aid DC has a hybrid work schedule. The Fellow will be required to work in the office a minimum of four (4) days a week and may be required to work in the office more frequently, depending on job responsibilities.

Responsibilities:
The Fellow will be involved in all aspects of systemic work and work directly with the Legal Director for Systemic Advocacy and Law Reform. The Fellow's primary responsibility will be to engage with policy, community engagement, impact, and appellate on a cross-systemic project.

In addition, the Fellow will have the opportunity to engage in other discrete projects within Systemic Team units. This can include drafting and preparing testimony before the D.C. Council, community engagement, conducting investigations and depositions, drafting pleadings, arguing motions, compiling research, and engagement with District agencies, the D.C. Council, and community organizations. There are many opportunities for direct client representation and engagement.

Qualifications:

• Exceptional legal research and writing skills;
• Exceptional organizational and communication skills and attention to detail;
• Strong litigation skills, including working across teams varying in size;
• An ability to multitask, prioritize, meet quick deadlines, and be self-directed on large assignments with long timeframes;
• A demonstrated commitment to social, economic, and racial justice;
• An ability to work with Legal Aid's diverse client community; and
• Proficiency or fluency in Spanish or another language in addition to English preferred but not required.

Eligibility for membership in the D.C. Bar is required, membership preferred. Individuals who are not already members of the D.C. Bar must have graduated from an accredited law school (or anticipate doing so) before the fellowship commences.

Salary and benefits:
The Fellow will be paid in accordance with Legal Aid's salary scale based on years of full-time legal experience. Lateral hires will receive credit for years of relevant work experience. Starting salaries are as follows:

• Entry-level attorney just passing the bar: $71,054
• Attorney with 1 year full-time legal work experience: $73,591
• Attorney with 2 years full-time legal work experience: $75,752
• Attorney with 3 years full-time legal work experience: $78,277

Legal Aid generally provides two salary increases per year, depending on funding availability: a cost-of-living increase at the beginning of the year and a step increase in July. We anticipate (but do not guarantee) the first of these – a 2.5% increase in our pay scale – before the individual selected for this position begins employment.

Legal Aid offers a generous benefits package, including eligibility for fully paid health insurance, annual retirement match, 13 paid holidays, 20 days of annual leave per year, and 15 days of sick leave per year.

Click here for full salary scale and additional benefits information. (https://www.legalaiddc.org/salary-benefits)

This position is included in the bargaining unit represented by the National Organization of Legal Services Workers, UAW Local 2320. New hires start with a 90-day probationary period.

To Apply:

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