J.D. Degree (at time of application or by expected start date).

This position targets recent law graduates.

Demonstrated interest in public service and clinical legal education.

Admission to the Wisconsin Bar or eligible for admission to the Wisconsin Bar by January 2024 preferred.

Proficiency in Spanish is preferred.

The University of Wisconsin Law School seeks applicants for a post-graduate clinical fellowship position with the Restorative Justice Project in the Frank J. Remington Center (FJRC).  

The Remington Center clinics train and supervise students in providing legal services to incarcerated clients in an array of clinics.

The Restorative Justice Project (RJP), one of the FJRC clinics, works with victim-survivors, those responsible for criminal acts, and community partners to repair harms through non-adversarial means. For example, students and faculty facilitate face-to-face meetings between victims/survivors of crime and the responsible parties to help repair some of the harm caused. This process allows victims/survivors to obtain answers to lingering questions in the aftermath of a serious crime.

The RJP also provides a broad spectrum of restorative justice program assistance to community partners and agencies, including advising on program structure, training on restorative practices, and other support.

The Clinical Fellow (Research Associate) will have an opportunity to be involved in serving clients during restorative justice dialogue processes relating to violent and sensitive crimes, working with community and national partners, and researching related issues.

The fellowship is a training, public interest, and research opportunity for new or recent law graduates drawn to clinical law teaching and public-interest law. The Clinical Fellow will work under the supervision of the RJP clinical faculty and the FJRC Director to instruct law students, manage case work, and potentially publish research in their area of interest. The Fellow will collaborate with the RJP director to craft fellowship duties and overall experience in specific areas of interest to maximize learning and growth.

We recognize that potential for excellence comes from a variety of backgrounds and have created this position to develop the talents and abilities of future public-interest lawyers and clinical teachers, including those who hope to go on to become restorative justice practitioners.  It is a one-year position, renewable for a second year.

Principal duties:

The Clinical Fellow will work closely with RJP clinic faculty and FJRC Director and staff to develop their teaching and advocacy skills and manage the clinic’s restorative justice work.  The Fellow will assist with the instruction, supervision, and mentoring of law students working with clinic clients and community partners in conjunction with RJP clinical faculty. 

Specific duties may include:

1. Assisting clinic faculty in the review and refinement of the clinic’s curriculum and courses, consistent with Law School needs and objectives;

2. Teaching or co-teaching clinical courses or classes, which may include:

   • providing instruction in substantive law, procedure, and professional responsibility

   • screening and assigning appropriate cases to clinic students

   • participating in weekly 1:1 meetings with each clinic student

   • reviewing, critiquing, and approving documents prepared by students in their cases before filing in court (if admitted to practice law)

   • providing written evaluations of students' work;

3. Attending staff meetings and coordinating/collaborating with FJRC clinical faculty in areas of common interest among the Law School’s clinics;

4. Collaborating with local community partners, governmental agencies, and NGOs;

5. Assisting with policy and legislative work at the local, state, or national level;

6. Developing and pursuing research interests, writing and publishing material on clinic activities or public-interest advocacy, and participating in outreach, conferences, or other events related to the clinic's work.