Law Clerk

Part-time

No

ship

Experience

No experience required

Salary

Unpaid

Job Title

Law Clerk (Quarter/Semester Externship)

H1: UnCommon Law Fighting for Justice and Healing for the Incarcerated
H2: Join Our Team as a Law Clerk (Quarter/Semester Externship)

UnCommon Law is seeking passionate and dedicated individuals to join our team as Law Clerks for our unique and impactful organization. As a Law Clerk, you will have the opportunity to work alongside attorneys and legal assistants, gaining hands-on experience in the criminal justice system and making a real difference in the lives of those impacted by incarceration.

About UnCommon Law:

- Our mission is to ensure that all people incarcerated for violent crime have access to healing, justice, and effective legal representation.
- We have a unique, trauma-informed model of advocacy that prioritizes healing, accountability, and safe pathways home from prison.
- Our approach is changing policy and outcomes, driven by the voices and experiences of system-impacted communities.

About the Position:

- This is a part-time (16-20 hours/week) position over the quarter or semester calendar (at least 8 weeks).
- Law Clerks will have the opportunity to learn about the discretionary parole process, California prisons, and the life cycle of individual journeys through incarceration and release.
- This position is unpaid, but we support candidates to seek school credit, outside funding, and/or fellowship opportunities.
- We are committed to providing an inclusive, welcoming, and culturally responsive environment for all members of our team.

Responsibilities:

- Provide direct support to attorneys, including drafting communications and consultations with clients, giving feedback on client writings, and assisting with legal phone calls.
- Conduct legal research and writing, including memos on legal issues impacting clients and related policy, reviewing case records and prison files, and drafting habeas petitions.
- Communicate with non-client mail.
- Manage information by updating contact records and maintaining our legal database.

Qualifications:

- Compassion for incarcerated people and their family members, and a demonstrated interest in criminal justice reform.
- Ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- A professional demeanor and pleasant disposition.
- Exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail.
- Sensitivity to confidential matters.
- Working proficiency in Microsoft Word and Excel, Google Suite, and CRM software (strongly preferred).

Application Instructions:

To apply for this position, please submit a resume and a cover letter describing your interest and relevant experience. Please also include contact information for two professional or academic references. We strongly encourage applications from people impacted by incarceration and traditionally underrepresented communities.

We are committed to diversity and inclusion and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender expression, age, national origin, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, military status, or prior contact with the criminal justice system.

Join our team and make a difference in the fight for justice and healing for the incarcerated. Apply now!

responsibilities


direct attorney support: drafting follow-up communications and/or consultations to clients; providing feedback on client writings; supporting attorneys in the preparation of and attendance at legal phone calls; assembling parole packets to submit to the board of parole hearings
research & writing: researching and writing memos about legal issues impacting clients or related policy; reviewing case records and prison files; compiling housing, employment, and other support resources for incarcerated clients; drafting habeas petitions
communications: responding to non-client mail
information management: updating contact records and maintaining our legal database


qualifications


compassion for incarcerated people and their family members, and a demonstrated interest in criminal justice reform
ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously
excellent written and verbal communication skills
a professional demeanor and pleasant disposition
exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail
sensitivity to confidential matters
a working proficiency in microsoft word and excel, google suite, and crm software (strongly preferred)


application instructions


please submit a resume and a cover letter describing your interest and relevant experience for the role, along with contact information for two professional or academic references to our hiring portal (https://uncommonlaw. responsibilities


direct attorney support: drafting follow-up communications and/or consultations to clients; providing feedback on client writings; supporting attorneys in the preparation of and attendance at legal phone calls; assembling parole packets to submit to the board of parole hearings
research & writing: researching and writing memos about legal issues impacting clients or related policy; reviewing case records and prison files; compiling housing, employment, and other support resources for incarcerated clients; drafting habeas petitions
communications: responding to non-client mail
information management: updating contact records and maintaining our legal database


qualifications


compassion for incarcerated people and their family members, and a demonstrated interest in criminal justice reform
ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously
excellent written and verbal communication skills
a professional demeanor and pleasant disposition
exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail
sensitivity to confidential matters
a working proficiency in microsoft word and excel, google suite, and crm software (strongly preferred)


application instructions


please submit a resume and a cover letter describing your interest and relevant experience for the role, along with contact information for two professional or academic references to our hiring portal (/)


ucl is committed to providing an inclusive, welcoming, and culturally responsive environment for all members of our staff, volunteers, subcontractors, vendors, and clients. ucl does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, military status, or prior contact with the criminal justice system. apply for this position
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we encourage people who have been incarcerated or have loved ones incarcerated to apply

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