Holley Law Fellows
Position Description
Task Force Holley Law Fellowships and externships are available part- or full-time each semester and full-time each summer in the Washington, DC office. Holley Law Fellows work in the Task Force Public Policy and Government Affairs Department, which has four lawyers working on local, state, and federal policy. Through our annual Brown Bag lunch series and other events, Holley Law Fellows will meet a diverse network of LGBT and allied attorneys working on a variety of progressive issues.
Typical Holley Law Fellow tasks include:
- Drafting local and state anti-discrimination legislation;
- Writing memoranda and advocating on the full range of transgender-related policy issues, including updating identity documents, interactions with police, respectful treatment in jails and prisons, access to health care, and access to homeless shelters;
- Drafting testimony for Congressional hearings;
- Providing technical assistance to lawmakers and state-based advocates analyzing federal and state court decisions for their impact on civil rights for the LGBT community;
- Analyzing regulations from federal and state agencies with recommendations for policy change; and
- Tracking and analyzing legislation at the federal, state, and local level.
Philosophy
The Holley Law Fellowship program is a hands-on program in which Holley Law Fellows are given a diverse range of assignments that reflect the work of policy advocacy on behalf of the LGBT community. The Task Force believes that the only way to build a movement of effective policy advocates is to provide practical experience in the day-to-day life of national level LGBT policy lawyers, with guidance and supervision from our experienced attorneys. As such, Holley Law Fellows frequently follow a project from start to finish, as they draft research and advocacy memoranda, attend meetings with coalition allies to strategize around effective policy change, and attend high-level meetings with policymakers to advocate for policy change.
Qualifications
Applicants should possess excellent interpersonal, legal research and writing skills, and a strong interest in LGBT policy and/or nonprofit lawyering. 1Ls, 2Ls, 3Ls and LL.M. candidates are eligible. Competition for positions in the program is high. For Fall/Spring positions, applicants must agree to work at least 10 hours each week. For Summer positions, applicants must agree to work 10 weeks at full-time.
Compensation/Credit
Academic credit is available depending upon the policies of the student's law school. Summer Holley Law Fellows receive a substantial stipend.
Application Deadlines
Summer Positions: e-mail your application in by the previous December 31. Fall Positions: e-mail your application in by the preceding August 31. Spring Positions: e-mail your application in by the preceding November 30. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis and we may fill all available spots before the listed application deadline, so applicants are encouraged to apply as early as possible.
To Apply
To apply or for more information, send cover letter, resume, and writing sample (legal or non-legal) to Patrick Paschall, Policy Counsel, at ppaschall@thetaskforce.org. E-mail submissions only, please.
Last modified: October 2012
