McCleary Law Fellow

We strongly encourage people of color, transgender and non-binary people to apply. HRC is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes everyone, including non-LGBTQ+ people, to join our team. Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that people from marginalized communities are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At HRC, we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

Position Summary:

The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is the nation’s largest LGBTQ+ civil rights and advocacy organization dedicated to achieving equality for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) community. HRC’s Federal & State Affairs Department drives the organization’s legal and policy agenda using legislative and administrative advocacy in legislatures, before agencies, and with policymakers, and litigation in the courts.

The McCleary Law Fellow works with the Federal & State Affairs Department to execute comprehensive short- and long-term strategies to advance HRC’s policy and advocacy goals, with a special focus on projects developing students’ skills in legal research and writing. McCleary Law Fellows work under the supervision of licensed HRC attorneys on a wide range of matters across practice areas including constitutional, education, employment, disability, family, benefits, tax, health care, immigration, military, and municipal law.

This position can either be based at the HRC headquarters located in Washington, DC, as a hybrid/in-person position, or can be worked fully remotely, subject to approval by your law school and HRC.

For consideration, please include in your application all required materials including:

• Resume
• Cover Letter
• Unofficial Transcript

Position Responsibilities:

• Contributes to the Legal Policy team’s work, which is responsible for the legislative and administrative legal counsel for the organization, including:
  • Analyzing policy proposals, regulatory changes, existing law, and judicial trends;
  • Drafting policy recommendations, legislation and amendments, regulatory comments, testimony, and other legal products;
  • Drafting memoranda, explanations, talking points, and other supportive materials;
  • Developing briefs, reports, and research that advances LGBTQ+ policy goals, including the Municipal Equality Index.
• Performing other necessary and appropriate duties related to HRC’s policy and advocacy needs.

Term, Time Commitment, and Stipends:

• This is a rolling application: new classes of McCleary Law Fellows are hired for the Fall, Spring, and Summer each year.
• Fall and Spring McCleary Law Fellows are full or part-time positions for the span of the semester, generally for a 10-week term and for academic credit.
• Summer McCleary Law Fellows are full-time positions, generally for a 10-week term. Stipends from HRC are generally only available for full-time McCleary Law Fellows in the Summer.
• HRC will cooperate with all McCleary Law Fellows’ applications for additional remuneration, including public interest grants and academic credit.

Position Qualifications:

• Current student seeking either a J.D. or L.L.M. from an ABA-accredited law school with a strong academic record.
• Experience in public policy, legislative and administrative advocacy, impact litigation, and/or knowledge of civil rights laws is preferred.
• Must be highly organized, detail-oriented, and able to handle multiple projects simultaneously in a fast-paced environment.
• Must also have excellent legal writing and communication skills, strong research skills, critical thinking and problem-solving skills, familiarity with Lexis, Westlaw, or other web-based research tools, and computer and internet proficiency.
• Demonstrated commitment to HRC and to advancing HRC’s goals and objectives.
• Strong commitment to and interest in the rapidly changing LGBTQ+ equality movement.

Employer is the Human Rights Campaign, Inc., an I.R.C. 501(c)(4) non-profit entity.

No phone calls or emails, please. Due to the volume of applications we receive, we are unable to respond to queries about application status.