Swords to Plowshares Seeks Candidate to Sponsor for a Legal Fellowship Beginning in August 2016
Swords to Plowshares seeks candidates to sponsor for both Equal Justice Works and Skadden fellowships.
Swords to Plowshares is a nationally-recognized nonprofit serving veterans in need in the San Francisco Bay Area. Founded in 1974, Swords to Plowshares is a community-based not-for-profit organization that provides legal assistance, counseling and case management, employment and training, and housing to veterans in the San Francisco Bay Area. They promote and protect the rights of veterans through advocacy, public education, and partnerships with local, state, and national entities. Believing that war causes wounds and suffering that last beyond the battlefield, their mission is to heal the wounds, to restore dignity, hope, and self-sufficiency to all veterans in need, and to prevent and end homelessness and poverty among veterans.
Their legal services include free assistance to veterans who seek Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare, disability compensation, and pension; they also specialize in military discharge reviews and upgrades for veterans who received less than fully Honorable discharges. They are a small, collegial staff seeking candidates to sponsor for both Equal Justice Works and Skadden fellowships. Applicants are encouraged to propose project ideas. They seek someone who is dynamic, creative, and highly motivated.
A successful fellowship candidate will:
- Possess superior research skills; strong academic record; impeccable written and verbal communication skills.
- Have demonstrated experience with or sensitivity to the needs of homeless and disabled veteran populations, particularly “hard to reach / hard to serve” populations.
- Possess patience; creativity; attention to detail; excellent organizational skills.
- Have a demonstrated ability to work cooperatively and remain calm under pressure.
- Be committed to the mission of Swords to Plowshares.
- Become a member of the State Bar of California (other state bar membership may qualify, if it satisfies VA rules for attorney representation and meets eligibility requirements for admission to the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims).
Veterans are strongly encouraged to apply. Women, people of color, people with disabilities and LGBTQ individuals are also encouraged to apply. Please note that Swords to Plowshares will make reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities.
To learn more about Equal Justice Works post-graduate legal fellowships, please visit the website. To learn more about Skadden post-graduate legal fellowships, please visit the website.
TO APPLY: Please send a cover letter detailing your interest in Swords to Plowshares along with a resume, academic transcript, writing sample, and list of three references here. Please be sure to include “Fellowship Candidate” in the subject line.
The deadline for applications is Monday June 29, 2015.