Albert M. Sacks Clinical Law Fellowship

The Sacks Fellowship in Clinical Research and Practice honors Albert M. Sacks, Dean of Harvard Law School from 1971-1981, whose vision, guidance, and support were critical to the founding of the clinical legal education program at Harvard Law School. The goals of the Sacks Fellowship are to provide opportunities for promising graduates to increase their practice-related skills and knowledge and to engage in research and investigative projects related to practice and clinical law teaching. 

2009 Sacks Fellowship

We are now accepting applications for the 2009 Sacks Fellowship, which will provide an opportunity for an early to mid-career attorney or graduating law student to work at the Harvard Immigration and Refugee Clinical Program on a variety of projects, starting in the summer of 2009. The Fellowship provides an outstanding opportunity for attorneys to initiate a career in clinical legal education, legal services, and public interest immigration law. The  Fellow will work closely with experienced attorneys, clinicians, and academics at Harvard Law School and Greater Boston Legal Services. The Fellow will also have opportunities for training and professional development in the areas of both immigration law and clinical legal education. 

About the Clinic

The Immigration and Refugee Clinical Program supervises law students in the direct representation of non-citizens applying for U.S. asylum and related protections. The Program also provides representation in cases involving family reunification, protection of domestic violence and crime survivors, and avoidance of forced removal in immigration proceedings. In addition, the Program is active in appellate and policy advocacy on local, national and international levels. 

Fellowship Responsibilities

The Fellow’s responsibilities will include supervising student casework, developing teaching and training materials, and conducting exploratory research into new case types and clinical methods. The Fellow will also help develop links with external immigration legal services and policy organizations with an eye toward establishing joint projects in which students can take part. The Fellow may set aside time to research and write articles for scholarly and clinical journals and/or immigration-related publications. The HIRC Fellow will be based on the Harvard Law School campus and will collaborate with other programs in Harvard’s vibrant clinical community. The Fellowship is a one-year placement renewable for a second year. 

Qualifications

Candidates should have a demonstrated interest in immigration and asylum law, strong academic credentials, superior research and writing skills, and a commitment to public interest lawyering. Outstanding interpersonal and team-building skills are required. Ability to work sensitively with a diverse population of clients, students, and staff is essential, and multi-lingual and/or multi-cultural candidates are encouraged to apply. The Fellow’s position includes Harvard benefits and a salary commensurate with other major public interest fellowship programs.

To Apply

Applications for the 2009 Fellowship will be accepted through February 1, 2009. To apply, please submit the following materials to the Harvard Immigration and Refugee Clinic at hirc@law.harvard.edu: 

• Resume
• A statement of interest (approx. 750 words) that addresses your potential for clinical teaching and advocacy, your relevant prior experience, and any other information you believe will help the hiring committee evaluate your candidacy.
• A writing sample (approx. 10 pages), preferably in a subject area relevant to the position.
• A least three references with email and phone contact information for each.
• Law school transcript (an informal copy or list of all grades and coursework is acceptable; applicants accepted for final round interviews will be asked to have a sealed transcript sent from their registrar’s office)