Leadership Academy: Legal Program

About

The goal of the Greenlining Legal Academy is to recruit and train the next genereation of leaders, advocates, and policy-makers to protect and promote the interests of California's diverse and vulnerable communities.The Legal Academy trains law students and recent law school graduates to become effective, ethical, and creative agents for social change. Students learn practical skills such as negotiating, writing and oral advocacy by applying their skills in real time. Students are given immediate and frequent exposure to government officials, community leaders and corporate executives to experience how policy-making happens from "the inside".

Training Method

Through its programs, the Legal Academy seeks to train law students to be skilled, ethical, and reform-minded professionals and creative agents for social change. In addition to learning practical legal skills such as interviewing, counseling, negotiating, writing and oral advocacy, students are urged to scrutinize the quality of justice for communities of color and low-income communities.

Your Experience

The Legal Academy utilizes clinical legal education methodology, by allowing the students to actively engage in legal work under the supervision of practicing attorneys , to teach the skills and values necessary to the ethical and competent practice of law. It will also afford students the opportunity to acquire the skills and build vital social networks that will enhance their effectiveness as future advocates of minority communities. Legal Academy Participants will work closely with Greenlining’s Managing Attorney by intervening and initiating legal actions before administrative bodies, such as the California Public Utilities Commission, the California Department of Insurance, and the Federal Reserve.

Legal Fellowship

The Greenlining Legal Fellowship is a year-long training program for leaders who have recently completed law school and attained their Juris Doctor by the start of the program. Legal Fellows will be assigned to one or more areas of Greenlining's consumer protection advocacy and will develop expertise in those areas under the direction and guidance of Greenlining's legal team and the Academy Director.  Legal Fellows will work closely with Greenlining's legal team by intervening and initiating legal actions before administrative bodies, such as the California Public Utilities Commission and the Federal Communications Commission. Legal Fellows will work across different areas, such as telecommunications, energy, and emerging technologies. Recent Greenlining cases include the successful blocking of AT&T's merger with T-Mobile. winning diversity guarantees with some of the largest corporations in the U.S., and establishing the most comprehensive set of consumer rights for California's utility customers.

Candidates for Legal Fellow must be expecting to graduate and take the California Bar exam in 2012 OR recent law school graduates who are members of the California Bar Association.

As a Legal Fellow, one works 37.5 hours per week and earns $41,800 salary + health and dental benefits + up to $2,000 reimbursement for Bar examination fees after completion of fellowship.

Learn more about the Legal Academy and Legal Fellowship click here.

The Summer Legal Associate Program

The summer legal associate program is a 10 week training program for 1 or 2 young leaders who are in the process of completing their Juris Doctor. Summer Legal Associates will be assigned to complete a research project in one area of Greenlining’s consumer protection advocacy and will develop expertise in that area under the direction of Greenlining’s Managing Attorney and the Academy Director. Participants will work across different areas, such as telecommunications, energy, emerging technologies, banking and insurance. Recent Greenlining cases include successfully establishing statewide protections for utility consumers, negotiation of diversity guarantees during the SBC/AT&T and Verizon/MCI mergers, FCC intervention in the proposed Comcast-NBC Universal merger, and efforts to bridge the digital divide. Participants will assist the Managing Attorney in communicating with Greenlining coalition members and organizing community efforts to support regulatory, legal and legislative programs.

Candidates for Summer Legal Associate must be law students who have completed either their first or second year of law school.

As an Associate, one works 37.5 hours per week and earns a $1,700 monthly stipend.

Learn more about the Legal Academy and Legal Summer Associate Program click here.

Personal and Professional Development Workshops

Personal and professional development workshops are important tools to assist in teaching participants effective skills. These skills they learn will strengthen their capacity to contribute to their Greenlining experience as well as their future opportunities.

Workshops Include:

-          Public Speaking and Effective Presenting

-          General Internet Research

-          Introduction to Greenlining's Negotiation Techniques

-          Introduction to Greenlining's Advocacy and Organizing Techniques

-          Sacramento Ins and Outs and Lobbying

-          Meeting Facilitation

-          Research for Writing a Policy Brief

-          Effective Social Networking

-          Media Spokesperson and Communications

Policy Issue Area Days

Policy issue area days are opportunities for Associates to learn and grow in their understanding of important policy areas affecting California and its most vulnerable populations. Issue days occur on Fridays and consist of 3 meetings or “site visits” with different organizations focusing on the particular issue. These meetings allow Associates to have discussions with Executive Directors and other leaders of organizations and to learn about their organizations’ approaches to create positive change in the communities.

Issue Days May Include:

-          Financial Regulation

-          Leadership

-          Healthcare  in California

-          Social Media for Social Justice

-          California Government

-          Broadband Technology and Access

-          Access to Higher Education

Site Visits May Include:

-          San Francisco Federal Reserve

-          Bank of the West

-          California Healthcare Foundation

-          The San Francisco Foundation

-          Capital Building, Sacramento

-          Public Policy Institute of California

-          PolicyLink

The Greenlining Legal Clerkship

The greenlining legal clerkship is open to law students who are either in their second or third year of law school who are seeking academic credit for working with the organization. The clerkship accepts students during the fall semester, spring semester and summer. Admission is based on organizational need and applications are considered on a rolling basis.

The Greenlining Legal Internship

The greenlining legal internship is open to undergraduate students who are considering the law as a profession. The internship accepts students during the fall semester, spring semester and summer. Admission is based on organizational need and applications are considered on a rolling basis.

Applying for the Greenlining Legal Academy

Greenlining seeks talented, self-motivated individuals committed to equality and justice.

A completed Legal Academy application consists of:

¨       cover letter,

¨       resume, and

¨       3 references

• Please make clear for which program you are applying in your cover letter

Application materials for the Legal Fellow and Summer Legal Associate program must be postmarked by January 13, 2012.  Applications that are not postmarked by the appropriate application deadline will not be considered. 

Admission for both the Legal Clerkship and Legal Internship is based on organizational need and applications are considered on a rolling basis.