Hiring

Want to fight for the public interest and social justice?

Chandra Law is always interested in hearing from dynamic people who could propel the mission of our civil-rights law firm to, as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, "bend the arc of the moral universe toward justice." Or as we sometimes put it: engage in the karmic facilitation™ of civil-rights wrongdoers.

Here are the current positions we have available, the eligibility criteria, and how to apply:

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2021 Summer Law Clerks—posted until filled; decisions made on a rolling basis by March 31, 2021

Our civil-rights law firm plans to hire up to four summer law clerks for 2021. We will determine the precise number as we get closer to the summer. We have a number of exciting matters that public-spirited law students would find interesting, including in the areas of employment discrimination and retaliation, sexual harassment, Title IX retaliation, the First Amendment, whistleblower lawsuits, voting rights, section 1983 police-misconduct cases, and white-collar-criminal defense. We have a lot cooking and plan to immerse our law students in deeply substantive work.

We seek the following attributes:

• Strong work ethic with the ability to manage a significant volume of work,
• Grit and persistence,
• Extremely self-organized, efficient, and detail-oriented,
• Perfectionist with a drive for excellence,
• Strong academic and other credentials including firm or public-service experience, with judicial clerkships being a significant plus,
• Demonstrated commitment to and passion for civil rights, civil liberties, and the public interest,
• Polished plain-English writing skills (no use of legalese), with significant, persuasive legal-writing experience,
• Growth-mindset—desire to learn,
• Collaborative, team-oriented attitude, with ego in check,
• Sense of humor, and
• Progressive, community commitment—demonstrated change agent.

We prefer second-year law students, but will consider particularly strong first years. We offer a flat summer stipend of $6,000, paid in three installments, although some students from some universities arrange for academic credit instead.

Our blog has more information about the kinds of cases we are handling.

Qualified candidates should submit the following in .pdf format to through the form at the bottom of this page:

• Cover letter,
• Résumé,
  List of at least three references,
• Law-school transcript, and
• Two-to-three unprivileged and appropriately redacted writing samples.

Chandra Law is an equal-opportunity employer, committed to effectively serving its diverse clientele. We strongly encourage applications from candidates from non-traditional legal backgrounds, including persons of color, persons of all genders and sexual orientations, first-generation professionals, and persons with disabilities.

No telephone calls, please. Please bear with us as we are a busy small firm, demand is high, and it may take us a while to fill these positions and respond to all applicants.

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John Lewis Civil Rights Litigation Fellow (one-to-five years of experience by the time the fellowship begins). Selections will be made on a rolling basis with a final deadline for application of June 1 for fall of that same year. Early applications for fall of the year that follows are strongly encouraged.

What the John Lewis Fellowship is and why we offer it

To honor our civil-rights hero John Lewis, our public-interest firm—peer-reviewed in U.S. News & World Reports as one of the Best Law Firms in America for Civil Rights—has established a two-year fellowship to introduce newer lawyers with federal-judicial-clerkship experience to civil-rights legal advocacy.

Now, more than ever, we need to develop the next generation of civil-rights trial lawyers. This fellowship is designed to do just that.

Qualifications

By the time their fellowship begins, applicants must have at least 1-to-5 years of litigation experience, which must include a federal judicial clerkship.

We seek the following attributes:

• Strong work ethic with the ability to manage a significant volume of work,
• Happy-warrior spirit balanced by a strong sense of professionalism,
• Grit and persistence,
• Extremely self-organized, efficient, and detail-oriented,
• Perfectionist with a drive for excellence,
• Strong academic and other credentials comparable to our existing team, including firm or public-service experience,
• A federal judicial clerkship completed by the time the fellowship begins,
• Demonstrated commitment to and passion for civil rights, civil liberties, and the public interest,
• Polished plain-English writing skills (no use of legalese), with significant, persuasive legal-writing experience,
• Growth-mindset—desire to learn,
• Collaborative, team-oriented attitude, with ego in check,
• Sense of humor,
• Progressive, community commitment—demonstrated change agent, and
• Ohio bar admission, or eligibility to obtain provisional admission upon job offer and admission without examination.

Karaoke skills go a long way too.

What you will gain

We expect that fellows will be introduced to every aspect of complex civil-rights litigation, from direct client engagement and factual investigation and development, to drafting federal complaints, to conducting discovery including taking and assisting with depositions, to identifying and developing expert testimony, to drafting key briefs, to engaging in mediation, to engaging in pretrial preparation and trial.

Fellows will benefit from mentorship from our partners in a collaborative and collegial firm setting, and receive targeted feedback on your legal writing, witness examinations, and other substantive work. We will also introduce them to our broader network in the civil-rights and judicial community.

Base compensation for the fellowship will depend upon experience, although applicants should keep in mind that this is public-interest work.

How to apply and what we need

Qualified candidates should submit the following in .pdf format through the form at the bottom of this hiring page at https://www.chandralaw.com/about/hiring:

• Cover letter articulating how you measure up under the above criteria, and what you would be able to contribute to the types of causes we champion,
• Résumé,
• List of at least three professional references, and
• Law-school transcript, and
• Three unprivileged or appropriately redacted writing samples.

Before applying

Before applying, candidates should study our blog and practice areas to determine whether our work excites you, and so you may articulate what you might be able to contribute to the types of causes we champion.

Our commitment to equal opportunity, diversity, and inclusion

Chandra Law is an equal-opportunity employer, committed to effectively serving its diverse clientele. We strongly encourage applications from candidates from non-traditional legal backgrounds, including persons of color, persons of all genders and sexual orientations, first-generation professionals, and persons with disabilities.

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PARALEGAL POSITIONS—(CURRENTLY NOT AVAILABLE)

The Chandra Law Firm LLC, based in downtown Cleveland, sometimes seeks a full-time paralegal. Great opportunity for personal and professional growth in a collegial, small-firm environment with a fast-paced, high-profile practice focusing on civil rights, constitutional law, and white-collar-criminal defense.

The main job duties would include, but are not limited to, interviewing potential clients and preparing interview summaries for attorneys for evaluation; managing client files; maintaining firm calendar and scheduling, including docketing deadlines and events; assisting attorneys with preparing pleadings, correspondence, and court filings; assisting with document review, analysis, and organization; preparing exhibits and binders for depositions, mediations, and trial; fact investigation and appropriate legal research.

Preferred qualifications: Proficient with Mac, Microsoft Word, Adobe, and Excel. The firm is looking for someone who has a strong work ethic, possesses strong organizational skills, has strong writing skills, pays close attention to detail, can manage multiple priorities under stress, excels in a team setting, and has a professional, upbeat disposition and growth mindset. Prior paralegal training or experience is preferred. Notary-public status is a plus.

Visit www.ChandraLaw.com for information about the firm. Qualified candidates should submit the following in .pdf format through this page:

• cover letter,
• résumé,
• list of three references, and
• two unprivileged writing samples.

Chandra Law is an equal-opportunity employer, committed to effectively serving its diverse clientele. We strongly encourage applications from candidates from non-traditional legal backgrounds, including persons of color, persons of all genders and sexual orientations, first-generation professionals, and persons with disabilities.

No telephone calls, please.