Root & Rebound seeks Law Clerks to support our work in California

ABOUT ROOT & REBOUND: R&R is a national reentry advocacy organization that provides know-your-rights education, direct legal services, policy reform and impact litigation to support formerly incarcerated people and people with convictions to navigate barriers to employment, housing, family reunification, obtaining ID, voting rights, financial stability, and more due to their record.  Root & Rebound’s mission is to support people navigating reentry and reduce the harms perpetuated by mass incarceration.

LAW CLERK OPPORTUNITY: As a law clerk at R&R, students have the unique opportunity to work holistically on the issues of “reentry law”—directly supporting individuals who are navigating the 48,000 documented legal barriers related to their criminal record. 

Unlike most legal externships, law students clerking at R&R learn about many areas of law– employment, civil rights, parole and probation, family, and many other substantive areas of legal practice as they impact justice-involved people. 

Those with lived experience are highly encouraged to apply. 

Qualifications: 

• Current law student or recent law school graduate. 
• Desire to work with people with arrest and conviction histories, and on criminal justice issues in a dynamic legal environment.
• Demonstrated interest in racial justice and improving the lives of disenfranchised people and communities.
• Ability to comfortably and appropriately communicate with a diverse group of stakeholders including currently and formerly incarcerated people and their loved ones, staff, community partners, board members, and others.

Currently all of our positions are hybrid or remote.

Please indicate in the cover letter which of the programs you are applying for:

DIRECT CLIENT SERVICES:

• Northern California Office (Oakland) R&R runs a weekly Reentry Legal Hotline every Friday for anyone with questions about reentry and the impact of a criminal record on their life and legal rights. Through our state-wide legal services, we support thousands of people each year. Client services clerks perform in the Oakland office:

1. • Answer Reentry Legal Hotline calls and speak with currently and formerly incarcerated callers, about their reentry-related questions and issues every Friday from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.;
   • Attend legal clinics across northern California;
   • Complete holistic legal intakes with clients at legal clinics;
   • Provide ongoing legal services to hotline, clinic, and other clients;
   • Create and update Know-Your-Rights factsheets on recurring legal issues;
   • Perform case-specific legal research and writing;
   • Draft advocacy letters, court filings, and other materials.

• Central Valley Office (Fresno) encompasses a women’s program that provides legal, social, and economic services to system-impacted women living in the Central Valley. Law clerks’ services and responsibilities include:

1. • Complete holistic legal intakes;
   • Work closely with social services managers and economic security coaches to provide wrap-around reentry services, including: providing guidance on navigating a reentry issue, drafting personal statements to include with record cleaning petitions and employment applications, collecting and organizing evidence of progress and rehabilitation, reviewing legal paperwork, filling out and filing paperwork, attending court hearings in support of the client.
   • Maintain logs of client communications, notes, and documents.
   • Research legal questions.
   • Assist with and provide Know Your Rights presentations, both virtual and in-person.
   • Assist with legal clinics, both virtual and in-person.
   • Support the hotline with a focus on supporting clients in the Central Valley. (see Norcal Office Description for information about the hotline)

• Southern California Team (Los Angeles) is based at the Anti-Recidivism Coalition (ARC), a community-based organization in Downtown LA, and provides legal services and workshops for justice system-impacted people as well as educational workshops across LA.  Direct client services clerks in the LA office:

1. • Work closely with a small number of clients
   • Work with ARC members who have suffered the Division of Juvenile Justice system or have come home after long sentences in California state prisons
   • Close collaboration with ARC staff to contribute to the holistic success of clients
   • Intakes and follow-up from community clinics (which will likely be virtual clinics)

Application Instructions: To apply for a position, please email the following materials:

1. Resume;
2. Cover letter (please indicate for which office/projects you are interested in; and whether you are looking for a hybrid or remote position);
3. Short sample of legal writing (4 pages max.); and
4. At least 2 references with contact information and a description of how they know you.

No phone calls, please.  / Decisions will be made on a rolling basis.

—

Root & Rebound is an equal opportunity employer and strongly encourages applications from all qualified individuals including women, people of color, people with conviction histories, persons with disabilities, ethnic and religious minorities, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and gender non-conforming individuals.