Civil Liberties, First Amendment, and Government Transparency Clinical Staff Attorney

Position Summary
The University at Buffalo School of Law invites applications for a Staff Attorney position in the Civil Rights & Transparency Clinic in the practice areas of civil liberties, First Amendment, free speech,
government transparency and accountability, press freedom and newsgathering rights, freedom of information, and related issues, to commence as soon as possible (as early as August 2022).

The successful candidate will:

• Co-supervise a clinic focused on civil rights, civil liberties, government transparency, and free speech, alongside a law school faculty member. This position offers attorneys the opportunity to engage in high-impact litigation and other work in support of local journalism and accountability efforts.
• Lead a project to provide legal support to local journalists, newsrooms, and non-profits that engage in investigative work. The successful candidate will have significant latitude to shape the litigation docket and other legal reform projects, in coordination with the clinic’s director.
• Supervise second- and third-year law students’ work on client matters, planning and facilitating clinic seminar classes, and conducting outreach in Western New York and surrounding regions in order to build the clinic’s docket in support of local journalism. The Staff Attorney will be primarily responsible for covering their matters during the summer and inter-semester breaks, with assistance from law students.

Depending on the successful candidate’s professional aspirations, there will be opportunities to prepare for a career as a clinical professor by, among other things, engaging in formalized training on clinical teaching methodologies, developing a portfolio of legal scholarship and other publications, and preparing for the law school clinical teaching market. The Staff Attorney will be integrated into the Clinical Legal Education program and will be welcome to participate in the vibrant intellectual life of the School of Law, including workshops, academic conferences, and other events. Support will be provided in preparation to continue their career at public interest organizations, private law firms, in-house positions, or other settings.

This is a full-time, research foundation position on a 12-month basis for one year, renewable for up to two years in total. This position will have the opportunity to be included in additional funding opportunities to create sustainable funding to extend position length. The Staff Attorney will be joining a clinical program whose mission is to deliver access to justice while teaching UB law students to be excellent, ethical, and engaged lawyers. The School of Law has a deep and longstanding commitment to serving clients and the broader public in Western New York and beyond. The Staff Attorney will have the unique opportunity deliver on that commitment to support the vitally important work of local journalists and non-profits who ensure that governments and other powerful institutions are accountable to an informed public.

Please see posting for additional information and qualifications.

Minimum Qualifications

• The Staff Attorney must be a member of the New York Bar (currently licensed in New York) or be eligible to be admitted on motion, without examination, (see Judiciary Law § 90 [i][b]; 22 NYCRR 520.10) in order to independently supervise law practice by students.

Apply here by July 29, 2022.