Regional Housing Legal Services (“RHLS”) seeks to sponsor applicants for project-based postgraduate legal fellowships to start in the Fall of 2024. Applicants should be law students graduating in the Spring of 2024, current law clerks or other recent law school graduates.

Applicants should have a demonstrated commitment to economic and racial justice. This position will be located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Remote positions will be considered subject to the terms of the fellowship programs and at the discretion of RHLS.

To obtain a project-based fellowship, an applicant and RHLS will propose a project idea to fellowship funders such as Skadden, Equal Justice Works and the Independence Foundation. The purpose of an applicant’s application to RHLS is to allow RHLS to select a candidate to support in the fellowship funding process. Examples of past RHLS fellowship projects include projects focused on promoting equitable housing development, leveraging new affordable housing funding sources and ending chronic street homelessness.

Applicants are welcome and encouraged to propose their own project ideas (and may do so in their cover letter). However, applying with a proposal is not required.

RHLS does not provide fellowship funding. Preference will be given to applications received by July 18, 2023.

Organizational Background

RHLS’s mission is to create housing and economic opportunity in underserved communities in Pennsylvania and to effect change in housing and community development systems for the benefit of lower-income households statewide. RHLS attorneys provide transactional legal counsel to nonprofit and community organizations working on a wide variety of community-based real estate development activities, including affordable rental housing, community land trusts and community benefits agreements. RHLS has offices in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Harrisburg and assists clients throughout Pennsylvania. Staff members work on a hybrid or fully remote basis. RHLS is a specialty legal services program within the Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network (PLAN).

RHLS offers fellows the unique opportunity to develop experience in public interest transactional legal services. RHLS attorneys do not litigate. Therefore, RHLS is not a good fit for prospective fellows who are primarily interested in courtroom work or litigation.

Qualifications

• J.D. from an accredited law school by Fall 2024.
• Passed or sat for the Pennsylvania Bar by Fall 2024 (or eligible for admission).
• Demonstrated commitment to economic and racial justice.
• The ability to work with racially and economically diverse groups with varied experiences and perspectives.
• Strong interest in housing justice and public interest transactional law.
• Keen analytical and organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Capacity to work effectively in both in person and remote office settings.
• Ability to independently complete legal tasks.

Compensation

The salary for the position will be determined by the fellowship funding source. Please reference the webpages for each funding source for salary information.

Unless otherwise specified by the funding source, the fellow will receive RHLS’s full generous employee benefits package, including fully funded health insurance (no premiums) for employees, their partners and children up to 25 (if not otherwise covered); 15 days of vacation in the first year of service, 13 holidays, 15 sick days and 4 days of personal leave; an employer 403(b) starting at 5% (no match required) after 6 months of employment; and employer-paid short-term and long-term disability policies.

Application Process & Deadlines

Interested candidates should email a cover letter, resume, law school transcript, list of references, and writing sample to Joseph Jampel (joseph.jampel@rhls.org) with “Legal Fellowship” in the subject line. We will review applications on a rolling basis and preference will be given to applications received by July 18, 2022.

RHLS is an equal opportunity employer. We seek to build diversity, equity and inclusion both within our organization and in partnership and allyship with the communities we serve. People of Color, trans and gender nonconforming people, people from poor and working-class backgrounds, people with disabilities and women are strongly encouraged to apply. We invite all applicants to include in their cover letter a statement about how your unique background and/or experiences might contribute to the diversity, cultural vitality and perspective of our staff and legal practice.