You: A recent law-school graduate, a confident and entrepreneurial freedom fighter with a passion for battling onerous government. You’re looking for an opportunity to work with the best liberty lawyers in the nation, immerse yourself in the nuts-and-bolts of public-interest law, and study the legal and philosophical principles of the liberty movement.
Them: Bureaucrats, city councils, mayors, governors, and federal agencies stripping Americans of their rights every day. There’s a lot of government overreach out there, and it’s backed by seemingly endless resources. But fortunately, like all lumbering giants, abusive government is most vulnerable when countered by individuals who act strategically and nimbly, take calculated risks, have each other’s backs, and are confident in and passionate for the cause—the very sort of swashbucklers we employ in spades here at PLF.
Us: We fight back. Pacific Legal Foundation is the nation’s first and most successful public interest law firm dedicated to vindicating individual liberty. PLF has an unmatched record in the United States Supreme Court, with 18 victories out of 20 cases litigated at the Court. We also have nearly 200 active cases across the nation.
We are a next-generation public interest law firm. What does “next-generation” mean for a legal nonprofit? It means we aren’t interested in doing the same thing as everyone else. We aspire to be the best player in a constantly changing game.
Here’s what you get to do in this role:
The PLF Litigation Fellowship is a year-long fellowship position for recent law-school graduates. You will be added to litigation teams in on-going cases, learn to develop a public interest case from the ground up, receive hands-on legal-research and legal-writing training, and study the Classical Liberal principles that guide our work. You will also be encouraged and expected to take on additional challenges, including legal research projects and communications efforts.
You will work on teams with junior and senior attorneys, adding your skills and perspective to elevate our team’s ability to win important victories for liberty. You will have the latitude to think big and the resources to execute. You will be at the forefront of shaping the law for all Americans.
In a nutshell, we’re seeking a new lawyer who’s passionate about individual liberty, property rights, and administrative law, someone who is confident and magnanimous, and someone who is a bold and relentless freedom fighter.
Getting down to brass tacks, your specific job duties will likely include:
- Working closely with litigation teams to develop precedent setting cases
- Actively participating throughout all stages of litigation, from pre-litigation public records requests to discovery and appellate work
- Drafting briefs, comment letters, and research memoranda
This role is ideal for someone with:
- A passion for liberty and excited to get a crash-course in public-interest law
- A demonstrated interest in property rights, environmental law, separation of powers, and equality and opportunity
- Outstanding interpersonal communications skills
- A knowledge of and passion for the ideas of freedom and individual liberty
- Excellent legal research and writing skills
GENERAL INFORMATION
Pacific Legal Foundation identifies and litigates important legal issues to set landmark precedents that will benefit Americans nationwide. Using strategic and principled litigation, communications, and research, we battle for freedom in the nation’s courts and the court of public opinion.
As a national nonprofit organization, PLF has brick-and-mortar offices in Sacramento, CA; Arlington, VA; and Palm Beach Gardens, FL, though approximately half of the staff work from home across the country. Participants of this fellowship are expected to work at least 3 days a week from our DC Office in Arlington, Virginia for the duration of the program. Exceptions to this may be considered for exceptional candidates.
This is a one-year, full-time position starting September 1st, 2025, for recent law school graduates. PLF is committed to recruiting and retaining the highest-quality talent available nationwide, and we offer a competitive compensation package. We have a flexible, collaborative, positive, and collegial work environment. We take pride in investing in your future and encourage internal advancement.
PLF is the place for someone principled, tenacious, and determined to succeed in positively shaping the future of our country and restoring real limits on government power. Join us.
TO APPLY:
We will be accepting applications from September 30th – October 27th. We have a limited number of spots available and are expecting a high volume of applicants, so we encourage interested candidates to apply as soon as possible. All offers will be made by the end of the year. If you think you might be a good fit, submit the following application materials at the link below.
- Your resume, including your experience in the liberty movement and relevant professional experience.
- A cover letter explaining why PLF is the place for you, why you want to fight for liberty, and what distinguishes you from typical applicants.
- A legal writing sample.
- A response to the following questions (included in the Paylocity application). Please do not exceed approximately one paragraph each:
- Why is freedom important to you?
- What book, author, or thinker, past or present, has most influenced your way of thinking?
- Pick one of PLF’s values and explain how you exemplify it.
- Which one of PLF’s current cases would you be excited to work on and why?
- What does equality under the law mean to you?
