The Capital Punishment Clinic at the University of Texas School of Law invites applications for a two-year, post-graduate fellowship. The fellowship is intended to provide experience in defending capital cases, as well as in supervising law students in a clinical setting. The fellowship is designed for a recent law graduate who plans to pursue a career in capital defense. The Fellow, under the direct supervision of the Clinic faculty, will
- Assist in litigating capital cases, including research and writing investigation and other fact development, and working directly with clients;
- Assist Clinic faculty in supervising clinic students;
- Assist Clinic faculty in planning and teaching the classroom component of the Clinic;
- Take part in planning and presenting Capital Punishment Center events.
Qualifications:
- J.D. degree from an accredited law school and eligibility for admission to practice in at least one state (preferably Texas). Current law students who anticipate earning a J.D. degree by May 2016 and taking a bar exam in the summer of 2016 are eligible to apply;
- Excellent legal research and writing skills;
- Prior experience in capital defense (e.g., student externship or internship with a capital defense office, or work experience with an attorney actively engaged in defending capital cases);
- Completion of law courses related to capital defense, such as a death penalty clinic, a course in capital punishment law, or coursework in related areas such as post-conviction remedies or criminal procedure; and,
- A demonstrated interest in capital defense and a commitment to pursuing a career in capital and/or criminal defense.
Salary:
$45,000 to $50,000 per year, depending on experience. This position comes with full health benefits. The fellowship begins on September 1, 2016, and runs through August 31, 2018.
The University of Texas School of Law Capital Punishment Clinic: Capital Punishment Clinic students assist clinic faculty in their work on death penalty cases at various stages in the litigation process, including trial, appeal, state and federal post-conviction, and clemency. The work encompasses many tasks that are integral to death penalty defense representation, including visiting clients on death row; interviewing witnesses and conducting field investigations; drafting motions, appellate briefs, and habeas petitions; and assisting attorneys in preparing for trials, evidentiary hearings, and appellate arguments. All student work is closely supervised by clinic faculty. The Capital Punishment Clinic, which has been part of the Clinical Program at UT Law for more than twenty years, is part of the Capital Punishment Center, established in 2006 to promote research and training in death penalty law. The Center sponsors academic events, pursues research projects concerning the administration of the death penalty, particularly in Texas, and assists in training and preparing capital defense attorneys.
More information about the Clinic and Center can be found here:
http://www.utexas.edu/law/clinics/capital/
http://www.utexas.edu/law/centers/capitalpunishment/
To Apply:
Applications (by email or in hard copy) should be submitted by October 15, 2015, to:
Ms. Kim Waters
Capital Punishment Clinic
University of Texas
School of Law
727 East Dean Keeton Street
Austin, TX 78705-3224
(512) 232-6325
kwaters@law.utexas.edu
Please include a letter of interest, a resume or c.v., a writing sample, and the names of three references.
The University of Texas School of Law is an Equal Opportunity Employer.