American Atheists seeks highly motivated individuals to serve as law clerks. Law clerks will work with and report to the Legal staff of American Atheists in our Washington, DC office and will focus on tasks within the legal & public policy departments.
Under the direction of the Vice President of Legal and Policy, the law clerks will complete tasks to support the mission of American Atheists by providing assistance with case management, research, client relations, state-level advocacy, administrative advocacy, and other similar tasks. An effective law clerk will play a major role in the continued success of American Atheists’ legal and policy work.
American Atheists operates in a fast-paced and rapidly changing environment and qualified individuals will be required to adapt to new challenges as they arise. All law clerks will have areas of primary responsibility, but are often required to be generalists and work creatively to address the ever-changing challenges associated with our work.
Essential Functions:
- Research and write advocacy resources, testimony, comments, and memos about legal and public policy issues being addressed by American Atheists.
- Support American Atheists’ ongoing litigation activities to protect the separation of religion and government.
- Track legislation, administrative rules, and other relevant policy at the state and federal levels.
- Monitor, track, and summarize legal policy developments relevant to the organization’s mission and activities.
- Attend meetings with coalition partners, members of Congress, and executive branch agencies with American Atheists staff.
Qualifications
- Availability to work in the Washington, DC office at least 16 hours per week.
- Currently enrolled in law school. 1L, 2L, or 3L students may apply.
- Excellent writing, editing, and research skills are a must.
- Ability to meet short deadlines in a fast-paced, time-sensitive work environment.
- Ability to work in collaboration with a team while taking initiative and working independently once given direction.
- Ability to handle sensitive information, including court cases, public relations strategy, and pending announcements with discretion and integrity.
- Experience with the Adobe Suite, Microsoft Suite, and other creative tools a plus.
The ideal candidate will have a strong interest in the separation of religion and government, support American Atheists’ mission to ensure equality for atheists, and have exceptional writing and research skills.
Compensation and Schedule
These are part or full time internships. The specific schedule is negotiable. Law clerks may choose to be paid the Washington, DC minimum wage (currently $15.20 per hour) or, if eligible, receive law school credit hours. American Atheists will work with qualified and passionate candidates to ensure that the duties of this position align with their interests, skills, and experience.
To Apply
Please send a cover letter and resume to [email protected] and place in the subject line: Legal Clerkship Applications. Please indicate your available semesters for clerkship – Spring, Summer, and/or Fall. Candidates will be interviewed and selected on a rolling basis. We regret that due to the volume of resumes received, we are unable to respond to all inquiries. No telephone calls or faxes, please.
American Atheists is committed to building a team that fully represent the community we serve. We recruit, employ, compensate, and promote candidates without regard for age, race, religion, national origin, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, political affiliations, past or present military service, marital status, non-disqualifying physical or mental disability, or on the basis of personal favoritism or other non-merit factors. We believe that diversity, inclusion, and equity among our team is crucial to succeed as a voice for underrepresented and marginalized people.