Street Vendor Project Seeks 2012 Legal Fellowship Candidates

The Street Vendor Project (SVP) of the Urban Justice Center announces the opportunity to apply for sponsorship for post-graduate legal fellowships starting in the fall of 2012 (applications due fall 2011). SVP seeks rising third-year law students and recent law graduates currently in clerkships or with clerkships beginning in the fall to sponsor for public interest law fellowships offered by the Skadden Fellowship Foundation, Equal Justice Works, Kirkland & Ellis New York City Public Service Fellowship Program, Arthur Liman Public Interest Program, and other similar programs that provide funding to new attorneys seeking to design projects to meet unmet legal needs, all within the supervision of an established public interest organization.

SVP is a grassroots project that seeks to advance economic opportunity, social justice, and civil rights for the thousands of people who sell food and merchandise on the streets and sidewalks of New York City. Vendors have a proud history in NYC that stretches back over 200 years. We provide a range of legal and advocacy services -- representing vendors at administrative and criminal hearings, providing legal training for vendors to educate them about their rights and responsibilities, and filing lawsuits on behalf of vendors when their rights have been denied. SVP also works to build vendor leaders and an entire community that can make its voice heard before police precincts, community boards, and other policymakers. For more information, visit www.streetvendor.org. SVP is a part of the Urban Justice Center, a non-profit organization founded in 1984 that provides legal and advocacy services to marginalized New Yorkers, such as domestic violence victims, mental health consumers, lesbian & gay youth, sex workers, and street vendors. The Urban Justice Center has a proven track record of successfully hosting Skadden, Equal Justice Works and other postgraduate legal fellows. Qualifications: Skadden Fellowship Foundation, Equal Justice Works, and other similar organizations provide funding to graduating law students or outgoing judicial clerks who seek who are beginning their careers in public interest law. After choosing applicants, we will work with them to design a proposal that fits with their interests and experience. Applicants with experience working with immigrant workers are encouraged to apply. Applicants of color and applicants with foreign language abilities, particularly Spanish, Mandarin, Bengali, Arabic, and Wolof are also strongly encouraged to apply. Application Instructions: Interested applicants should send a resume and cover letter briefly describing their interest in being considered for sponsorship. Applicants should have a basic familiarity with the fellowship opportunities available and the requirements of each. Please note: this is not a job posting. General application materials will not be considered. Email the requested documents to svp@urbanjustice.org. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis through August 1, 2011.