Fall 2009 FELLOWSHIP OPPORTUNITIES [DLRP-02 & DLRP-13]
NOTICE TO RECENT LAW-SCHOOL GRADUATES AND THIRD-YEAR LAW STUDENTS
American Civil Liberties Union
Drug Law Reform Project, Santa Cruz, CA

OVERVIEW:
The American Civil Liberties Union, (ACLU) is a nonpartisan organization founded in 1920. With national and affiliate offices throughout the country, the ACLU is widely regarded as one of the nation's premier public interest law firms.

Founded in 1998, the Drug Law Reform Project is a division of the national legal department of the ACLU. Our goal is to end punitive drug policies that cause the widespread violation of constitutional and human rights, as well as unprecedented levels of incarceration.

The Project plays a unique role as the only national litigation program addressing the broad range of civil rights and civil liberties violations arising from America’s drug policies. We have two programs that focus on central aspects of the war on drugs: (1) racial disparities in drug enforcement and incarceration, and (2) punishment of non-violent marijuana users. The Project also works on other areas of drug policy that inflict serious harms on individuals and communities.

The Project brings impact lawsuits throughout the country. Our current and anticipated litigation of constitutional and statutory claims in federal courts, state courts, and administrative agencies concerns the following issues, among others:

• The City of Seattle’s selective enforcement of drug laws against African-Americans;
• The Hawaii Board of Education’s plan to require mandatory random drug testing of teachers, librarians and other non-safety-sensitive employees;
• The federal government’s obstruction of medical marijuana research;
• The federal government’s concerted efforts to undermine state medical marijuana laws through targeted enforcement of federal law in violation of the 10th Amendment;
• Retroactive implementation of the U.S. Sentencing Commission’s recent Guidelines amendments to reduce sentencing disparities for individuals convicted of possessing crack and powder cocaine;
• Law enforcement’s misuse of confidential informants in drug cases;
• Challenging legislation enacted to overturn Ravin v. State, the 1975 Alaska Supreme Court decision establishing that the State constitutional right to privacy protects adults’ use of small amounts of marijuana in the home; and
• San Diego County’s refusal to implement California’s statutory scheme for allowing patients’ access to medical marijuana upon a doctor’s recommendation.

Project attorneys have argued cases in the United States Supreme Court, numerous courts of appeals, federal administrative agencies and trial courts throughout the country. For more information, please visit our web site at www.aclu.org/drugpolicy. The Drug Law Reform Project is now accepting applications for 2 one-year Fellowship positions, each for the year commencing in September 2009

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Project’s Fellows assist in all aspects of the Project’s litigation. The work can include the full panoply of appellate and district-court litigation, including:

• Drafting briefs and motions for litigation before the U.S. Supreme Court, courts of appeals, and trial courts
• Conducting discovery
• Participating at oral arguments and hearings
• Speaking with the press; meeting with clients
• Preparing expert and percipient witnesses for courtroom testimony; and devising new litigation.

REQUIREMENTS & QUALIFICATIONS:

Applicants should:

• Be third year law students or recent graduates
• Be self-motivated
• Have a demonstrated commitment to public interest, civil rights, and civil liberties issues,
• Have excellent research and writing skills
• Be willing to travel

COMPENSATION:
The ACLU offers a generous and comprehensive and benefits package, commensurate with experience and within the parameters of the ACLU compensation scale.

HOW TO APPLY:
Please send a cover letter explaining your interest in our work, a current resume, law school transcript, the names and phone numbers of at least two references, and a legal writing sample unedited by others to hrjobs@aclu.org, RE:[DLRP-02 & DLRP-13/WACLU] OR mail to:

Human Resources
American Civil Liberties Union
Attn: [DLRP-02 & 13/WACLU]
125 Broad Street, 18^th Floor
New York, N.Y. 10004

Please indicate in your cover letter where you found this job posting.

Application Deadline: No later that October 15, 2008, for the year beginning September 2009.

The ACLU is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and encourages applications from women, people of color, persons with disabilities, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals.