Vermont Poverty Law Fellowship

The Vermont Bar Foundation and the Vermont Access to Justice Campaign are pleased to announce the availability of a two-year Vermont Poverty Law Fellowship (VPLF) beginning in August 2014. The VPLF program is designed to allow graduating law students and other new lawyers to help expand the reach of Vermont’s existing legal services providers. Funding for salary and benefits will be provided by the Vermont Access to Justice Fund and will be matched by supervision and office support from a host Vermont legal services organization.

The specific fellowship projects will be designed to take advantage of the Fellow’s background and the needs of the low-income community, and will be integrated directly into the services being delivered by one or more of the three major legal services programs in Vermont: Vermont Legal Aid, Legal Services Law Line of Vermont, and/or the South Royalton Legal Clinic at Vermont Law School. The fellowship will include work on one or more specific projects impacting the lives of low-income Vermonters, as well as the day-to-day delivery of legal services to clients. The three prior Fellows focused on foreclosure defense, Tropical Storm Irene relief and education issues. Additional areas of legal aid in Vermont include but are not limited to legal services to veterans, consumer, housing, public benefits, disability rights and immigration.

Fellows will work with the Vermont Bar Foundation and the Vermont Bar Association to publicize fellowship activities, contribute to the public awareness of legal services in Vermont, and participate in Vermont Bar Association continuing legal education activities.

Applicants must have excellent written and oral skills. Experience in public interest law, civil rights law or legal services is a plus. Applicants must be recent law school graduates or graduating law students and must be admitted to the Vermont Bar or willing to sit for the July 2014 examination. Some in-state travel is required.

Salary will be $44,000 in the first year and $45,300 in the second year with fringe benefits. VPL Fellows will be eligible for up to $5,000 per year in student loan forgiveness through the Vermont Bar Foundation.

Send cover letter detailing the applicant’s previous work with low-income clients and/or other relevant experience, resume, three references, and writing sample by November 8, 2013 to:

Vermont Poverty Law Fellowship
c/o Vermont Bar Association
P.O. Box 100
Montpelier, VT 05601-0100

Equal Opportunity Employer: People with disabilities, women and minorities encouraged to apply.

Applicants are encouraged (but not required) to submit their applications electronically. Applications submitted electronically need not also be sent in hard copy.