A full-time, ten-week summer fellowship is available at the Oregon Justice Resource Center’s Civil Rights Project in Portland, Oregon. This fellowship is named in honor of the late Oregon Appeals Court judge and UO Law professor David Schuman and is part of the Law Fellows program of the Wayne Morse Center for Law and Politics.
Only Oregon School of Law students pursuing a J.D. may apply.
About the Position
Title: David Schuman Legal Justice Fellow
Location: Portland, Oregon - OJRC would prefer that the fellow work in person; the student will have the best experience if they are able to be in the office. But, OJRC is open to remote or hybrid work if living in Portland would pose a challenge to the fellow.
Salary: $6,000 stipend to be paid by the Wayne Morse Center at the end of May.
Description: Full-time summer fellowship for 1L or 2L; 10 weeks. The fellow will determine start and end dates with Civil Rights Division staff.
The fellow will work with the director, associate director, and staff attorneys of OJRC’s Civil Rights Project on a variety of civil rights and other civil litigation focused mostly on police and prison accountability and systemic reform. Tasks include legal research and writing, reviewing discovery, conducting factual investigation, interviewing clients and witnesses, and assisting with other steps of civil litigation. Other tasks may include research projects on the state of the law and research on state and local policy issues. The fellow will also participate in staff planning and strategy meetings.
Important: Many of OJRC’s clients have experienced trauma as well as abuse by the system. The Schuman Fellow will encounter subject matter that is difficult to hear and process, especially if they have not previously worked in this type of direct service.
Qualifications:
- Strong research, analysis, writing, and organizational skills are important. Ideal candidate will be able to review large amounts of information, identify important elements, and summarize efficiently. The ability to understand and follow instructions is very important, as is the ability to both self-direct and ask questions when necessary.
- A passion for the work is critical, and experience with police or prison accountability and reform is a plus.
Expectations and opportunities:
- Incoming Wayne Morse Law Fellows (Schuman Fellows are Wayne Morse Law Fellows) attend an orientation lunch in the spring. At the end of the summer, each fellow will submit a short report about their experience. When fall term begins, Law Fellows gather over lunch to debrief and share what they learned with one another.
- Fellows are invited to participate in the life of the Wayne Morse Center during and after their fellowship. This includes public lectures and panels (usually held in the law school), occasional lunches and receptions with speakers, and one-on-one mentoring.
- If asked, Law Fellows are expected to attend a gathering with donors to the Schuman Fellowship or Wayne Morse Center and share about their fellowship experiences.
How to Apply
By Monday, January 29 at noon, email a single PDF document that includes a cover letter, resume, law school transcript, and list of three references to the Wayne Morse Center for Law and Politics at waynemorsecenter@uoregon.edu.
- Address cover letter to Juan Chavez, Civil Rights Project Director and Attorney, c/o Wayne Morse Center for Law and Politics, 1515 Agate Street, Eugene, OR 97403.
- Include a home (non-UO) email address on your resume.
- Please check that the phone numbers and email addresses of references are current.
Interviews will likely take place in early to mid-February.
Questions? Please contact Wayne Morse Center Co-director Rebecca Dinwoodie, JD, rcd@uoregon.edu
Wayne Morse Law Fellow alums in this office: Franz Bruggemeier (UO Law ’16)
Past Schuman Fellows: Hannah Bland (2023), Vina Alexander (2022), Bailey Boatsman (2022), Mandy Dorman (2021)