Local News Fellow

The First Amendment Clinic at Duke Law School is accepting applications for a Local News Fellow. This fellowship is a full-time, term limited position beginning in the 2026 fall semester. This appointment requires the Clinical Fellow to be in-residence at Duke. Visit our website for more information about the First Amendment Clinic and Duke Law School.

Position summary

The Fellow will work on issues relating to the legal needs of local journalists, including: access to public records and government meetings, defending against subpoenas, lobbying for anti-SLAPP legislation and access-friendly updates to the North Carolina public records law; and providing education and outreach to the local journalism community. The Fellow will work closely with the other attorneys in the First Amendment Clinic and supervise the legal practice of students enrolled in the First Amendment Clinic.

The term of the appointment is for one year. Salary and benefits will be commensurate with experience and competitive with similar fellowship positions at other top U.S. law schools. Duke Law School has a special interest in enriching its intellectual environment through further diversifying the range of perspectives represented within the faculty.

What you'll bring

The ideal candidate will have the following qualifications:

• A J.D. degree
• NC bar admission at the time of application, or eligibility for admission and expressed willingness to become a member
• A minimum of three years of relevant experience
• A record of, or demonstrated potential for, clinical teaching, advocacy, and intellectual engagement, as well as an enthusiastic commitment to working closely with students
• Interest in working in an academic setting
• Experience supervising students and/or junior colleagues
• Excellent research, analytical, communication, organizational, and writing skills

Application process

Interested applicants must apply via Academic Jobs Online no later than August. 1, 2026. Applicants should also submit a letter of interest and résumé or CV also no later than August 1, 2026, via email to Sandra Pettiford at pettiford@law.duke.edu.

Application Materials Required:

Submit the following items online at this website to complete your application:

• Cover letter
• Curriculum Vitae
• Three references (no actual letters, just names and email addresses)
  • Applicants need to add all of their writers for all of their applications on their standard Coversheet

And anything else requested in the position description.

Contact information

More about Duke University

Duke University is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, ethnicity, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy and pregnancy related conditions), sexual orientation, or military status.

Duke University aspires to create a community built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. Our collective success depends on the robust exchange of ideas—an exchange that is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes. To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all members of the community feel secure and welcome, that the contributions of all individuals are respected, and that all voices are heard. All members of our community have a responsibility to uphold these values.