Open Positions

Any postings for available internships or career opportunities with Chicago Appleseed Center for Fair Courts will be listed here. Please take note of the deadlines for each posting, as this page may not always be appropriately updated. Volunteers opportunities are ongoing and can be found here.

 

Future Justice Fellow

Apply by September 23rd, 2024. Email a resume and cover letter to Malcolm Rich at malcolmrich@chicagoappleseed.org

 

POSITION DESCRIPTION

The purpose of the Malcolm Rich Future Justice Fellowship (“Fellowship”) is to administer the Future Justice Lawyers of Chicago program and expand its reach to other Appleseed centers around the country.

The Future Justice Lawyers of Chicago program (FJLOC) of Chicago Appleseed Center for Fair Courts and the Chicago Council of Lawyers is designed for Chicago area high school and undergraduate students who are interested in using the legal field to create systemic change. FJLOC members participate in education and research opportunities, and are mentored by volunteer lawyer advisors.

For more than three decades, Malcolm Rich devoted his personal and professional time to improving the administration of justice as a practicing lawyer working on behalf of special needs students and their families, as the Executive Director of the Chicago Council of Lawyers (since 1987) and Founder & Executive Director of Chicago Appleseed Center for Fair Courts (since 1997) until 2024. In honor of Malcolm Rich, an anonymous donor has provided a substantial 10-year contribution to fund this Fellowship, which will provide an opportunity for the Collaboration for Justice to hire a highly-qualified social justice advocate who is committed to improving our justice system and growing the Future Justice Lawyers programs across the country.

This Fellowship will begin in October 2024 and last for a 12-month period. Each Malcolm Rich Future Justice Fellow will be identified as such on newsletters, blog posts, and research reports, annual reports, public events, and elsewhere for Chicago Appleseed, the Council, and the Appleseed Network.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Program Management: The Malcolm Rich Future Justice Fellow is the primary administrator of the Future Justice Lawyers of Chicago, which includes day-to-day and long-term planning, management/coordination, communication, and leadership of the Chicago-based program in partnership with volunteers and other organization staff.

    • Oversees the program’s day-to-day operations, activities, and deadlines; coordinates the administrative aspects of students, advisors, and staff to ensure project work is completed and activities are connected and aligned. Reports to staff and FJLOC Advisory Committee about ongoing work, progress, and needs.
    • Ensures that the program schedule is planned, detailed, and executed; coordinates speakers and presentations.
    • Maintains open channels of communication with students, advisors, donors, staff, and community members to ensure the program functions and that news of the FJLOC is publicized.

Education & Engagement: The Malcolm Rich Future Justice Fellow is the main point of contact for undergraduate and high school students engaged in the program and will act as a liaison between the FJLOC members and staff, as well as with lawyer advisor, donors, and other volunteers as necessary.

    • Mentors the students in their project work by helping them develop research strategies and skills and by devising their calls to action and other advocacy strategies. Coordinates the process used to propose and decide upon research topics for group and individual student projects.
    • Assists in connecting FJLOC participants with research and advocacy sources; assists in finalizing research papers and materials, including triaging with the Communications Department, Court-Watching, Research Departments of Chicago Appleseed. Recruits, trains, and monitors FJLOC lawyer advisors; assists in connecting FJLOC members with their lawyer advisors.
    • Authors and utilizes promotional and outreach materials to recruit FJLOC members; makes remote and in-person presentations about various topics to the FJLOC to students, teachers, and advisors about the program in an effort to secure applicants to the program.
    • Maintains external and internal informational websites and web-based portals for members of the public and internally for those student members and for those involved in the administration of the program. Author blog, social media, and published articles about the FJLOC program, and related efforts.
    • Establishes and maintains an Alumni Association for graduates of FJLOC programs.

Program Growth: A key part of the Malcolm Rich Future Justice Fellowship is growth of the FJLOC program and replication of the program to other Appleseed centers around the county.

    • Conducts remote and in-person presentations to donors and other Appleseed centers around the country who may want to contribute to and replicate, respectively, the FJLOC program.
    • Travels to other Appleseed centers around the country to make presentations about the program, and conduct information sessions about FJLOC electronically to other Appleseed centers. Helps centers define the program, establish objectives and strategies, and create a plan to execute their goals and monitor their progress.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES REQUIRED

  • The Malcolm Rich Future Justice Fellow must have a JD and should be a person who has recently completed law school with substantial knowledge of the courts and the justice system.
  • Relevant education/real-world experience, preferably for Chicago-based nonprofits, legal services, or community-based/grassroots organizations is beneficial. Formerly-incarcerated people and people who have been directly-impacted by the criminal or civil legal system are strongly encouraged to apply.
  • This person must have the ability to represent the Chicago Council of Lawyers, Chicago Appleseed, the Collaboration for Justice, and the Appleseed Network in a compelling way in order to effectively engage with the community. They will be required to travel periodically and engage in certain volunteer recruitment and public education activities that require physical attendance in or around Chicago, throughout the state, and elsewhere in the country; this person should have the flexibility to travel when needed. This person should be available to attend and administer in-person and virtual meetings of the FJLOC on Saturdays.
  • The ideal candidate for this Fellowship is extremely organized and detail-oriented with the ability to follow through and follow up constantly and consistently with volunteers, community members/partners, and Chicago Appleseed & Chicago Council of Lawyers Board Members and staff. They should have exceptional management skills, including conflict resolution, facilitating collaboration, and coaching; should be a self-starter with initiative and organizational skills who can manage multiple projects, next steps, and deadlines; and must be a team player who is creative, energetic, flexible, collaborative, and proactive.
  • Strong interpersonal skills (verbal and written) are necessary to communicate effectively with students, advisors, community members, staff, and current/potential donors/volunteers. The ability to synthesize complex information and present it effectively to community members is essential.
  • Experience working with undergraduate and high school students, community organizations, and leaders from diverse backgrounds and/or developing leadership skills in others is a plus.

WORKING CONDITIONS

The Malcolm Rich Future Justice Fellowship lasts for a period of 12 months, from approximately October 2024 through September 2025.

The Fellowship is full time with most work to be done Monday through Friday and on Saturdays during the program term. This position will sometimes require evening and additional weekends as necessary to participate in FJLOC programs, attend community and fundraising events, and/or engage with Appleseed Centers around the country. This is a primarily hybrid position but will require periodic in-person engagement at FJLOC meetings, community events, volunteer trainings, and/or speaking engagements in/around Chicago, and occasionally throughout the country.

COMPENSATION

  • The Malcolm Rich Future Justice Fellowship is a one-year Fellowship with an annual compensation of $50,000.
  • Benefits include health insurance with generous vacation and paid leave policies. Full-time staff of Chicago Appleseed Center for Fair Courts are entitled to 15 paid vacation days and 10 paid personal days per year, as well as 16 weeks of paid parental/family leave. Additionally, offices will be closed on Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Labor Day, Indigenous People’s Day, Thanksgiving (3 days: Thanksgiving Day, the preceding Wednesday, and the following Friday), Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, and Presidents’ Day. We also close for business for a 5-day all-staff break the week of Independence Day from July 1 – July 5, 2024, and a 10-day all-staff winter break from December 23, 2024 – January 3, 2025.
  • We are committed to offering competitive work-life balance, and professional development opportunities that maximize our ability to recruit, retain, reward, and motivate a highly-qualified and diverse team. Our benefits package includes extremely flexible time-off and leave policies and a variety of other work-life benefits to support employees and their families.

HOW TO APPLY

Please send your resume and cover letter explaining your interest in this program to Malcolm Rich (malcolmrich@chicagoappleseed.org) by September 23rd, 2024. Only the applications that include a resume and a detailed cover letter will be considered. Applications submitted elsewhere or without the necessary materials will not be reviewed.

The above is intended to describe the general content of and requirements for the performance of this job. It is not to be construed as an exhaustive statement of essential functions, responsibilities or requirements.
Chicago Appleseed Center for Fair Courts and the Chicago Council of Lawyers are equal opportunity employers that are committed to maintaining a diverse workforce. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, physical or mental disability, color, religious creed, ancestry, national origin, religion, age, sex, marital status, genetic information or testing, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation or status disabled veteran or any characteristic protected by law.