UCI Law School - International Justice Clinic Fellow Position

25 Jun 2015 9:18 PM | Laura McNally-Levine

The University of California, Irvine School of Law invites applications for the position of Fellow in its International Justice Clinic (IJC). The principal aim of the fellowship is to provide an individual with mentorship and the opportunity to launch or deepen a career in human rights education and practice. The successful candidate will work on projects advancing the rights to freedom of opinion and expression under international human rights law, focusing in particular on contemporary problems of freedom of expression online. IJC supports the mandate of the United Nations Special Rapporteur  on the protection and promotion of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, currently held by Clinic Director David Kaye. As such, the Fellow will have an opportunity to help develop global strategies for internet freedom, shape thematic reports to the UN General Assembly and Human Rights Council, conduct research and supervise projects related to freedom of expression online, and develop innovative approaches to advocacy for internet freedom through international mechanisms. 

UCI Law enjoys a dynamic clinical program already ranked highly on nationwide surveys. IJC aims to make concrete contributions to freedom of expression worldwide. It would be expected that the IJC Fellow would be a vital part not only of the IJC, but of the Clinical Program and the faculty’s intellectual life more generally. As such, the Fellow would receive strong mentoring and could expect support in terms of career development, scholarship, and advocacy.

Job Description

IJC involves up to twenty students annually working on human rights projects in a variety of areas. The Clinic has built up expertise working with activists, academics, technologists, diplomats, international civil servants, and policymakers around the world. Since August 2014, the Clinic has conducted a number of projects on freedom of expression, including support for the mandate’s first thematic report on encryption and anonymity technologies under human rights law; analysis of and reporting on the effectiveness of communications (allegation letters and urgent appeals) with governments; country focus projects; follow-up studies on past rapporteur’s country missions; preparation of allegation letters and urgent appeals to governments; the initiation of an initiative to engage in amicus filings in support of freedom of expression worldwide, especially in regional courts; and strategic research to determine key areas of importance related to freedom online.

The Fellow will work on these types of issues and others that the successful candidate and the Director may identify over the course of the fellowship. This post-graduate fellowship will provide an opportunity to develop as an effective advocate and teacher while working with the Clinic to help train the next generation of leaders specializing in freedom of expression online. Therefore, one of the purposes of the fellowship is to allow the fellow to develop and practice clinical pedagogy and to supervise student projects. The fellowship would also enable the successful candidate to pursue a research agenda that is consistent with the work of the Clinic.

Over the coming year the Fellow will be involved in, at a minimum, three substantive areas of work where internet freedom and the freedom of expression intersect: the launch of a major project focused on the human rights policies and practices of corporate actors in the Internet Communication and Technology sector; follow-up projects related to individual security online (e.g., encryption and anonymity); and engagement on issues of internet governance under human rights law. The successful candidate will also work on integrating these substantive issues into other work of the mandate.

Requirements

Candidates for the position must have:

(1)  a J.D. from an A.B.A.-accredited law school and a record of exceptional academic and extracurricular success in law school;

(2)  at least two years of experience working on human rights topics, preferably freedom of expression;

(3)  superior written, oral and interpersonal communication skills;

(4)  the ability to think imaginatively and critically about approaches to advancing freedom of expression in international, national, and regional spaces;

(5)  the ability to work collaboratively with students, faculty and administrators; and

(6)  the ability to juggle multiple competing priorities and meet firm deadlines.

It is preferred that candidates for the position have significant experience working on human rights mechanisms at the international level or online freedom issues in a domestic or international setting. Candidates should also have a strong interest in pursuing a career in human rights education. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Nature of Appointment

The Fellow will report to the International Justice Clinic Director and work closely with an adjunct member of the faculty and IJC students. The position is a full time, twelve-month appointment with the possibility of extension for an additional year, but not to exceed 2 years total.

Application Procedure: All applicants must submit a cover letter describing their background and interests and a curriculum vitae using UC Irvine’s on-line application system, RECRUIT, located at: https://recruit.ap.uci.edu/apply/JPF02857

“The University of California, Irvine is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer advancing inclusive excellence. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected categories covered by the UC nondiscrimination policy.”

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