Local Journalism Attorney – Cornell Law School First Amendment Clinic

Reporting to the Cornell Law School First Amendment Clinic Director, Mark Jackson, and the Managing Attorney of the Clinic’s Local Journalism Project (LJP), Heather Murray, the Local Journalism Attorney will have primary responsibility for developing and managing a New York Metropolitan Area based project dedicated to providing legal services to support local journalism. The attorney will work independently to create a docket of new matters and to partner with New York City law firms and non-profits to represent the interests of media outlets that could not otherwise afford representation. The attorney will be tasked with affirmative outreach to media outlets, building and sustaining relationships with these outlets, and providing representation to aid investigative journalists to perform their watchdog function. The attorney will have a working and collaborative relationship with the Ithaca-based Clinic staff attorneys, but will have no formal teaching responsibilities. When appropriate, the attorney will work with students from the First Amendment Clinic on active matters, to help these students become familiar with legal issues related to media in the New York Metropolitan Area, and to otherwise aid in their professional development.

This position is ideal for a candidate who is eager to use their prior litigation and press backgrounds to help support and sustain local journalism in the New York Metropolitan Area. It calls for someone entrepreneurial, who is willing to help shape a new model for the delivery of the Clinic’s important services.

This is a satellite position of the Cornell Law School First Amendment Clinic based out of New York City, and generously funded by the Charles H. Revson Foundation. The appointment is for a two-year term and is benefits eligible. Reappointment for a third-year is possible based on performance and funding availability.

The Local Journalism Attorney must have a J.D. or equivalent, be admitted to the New York bar, and have a minimum of three years of relevant experience as a lawyer. Applicants should have excellent communication skills, both oral and written; excellent analytical skills; and the temperament to develop and work effectively with a network of media clients, outside lawyers and advocacy organizations. Applicants should also have the skills necessary to supervise and mentor law students and work collaboratively in a team-based environment. The applicant must also be a “self-starter” and have the ability to operate on their own, with light supervision.

Preference will be given to candidates who have experience representing the media; supervising other lawyers or law students; have strong relationships with organizations that the Clinic is likely to partner with—media enterprises, journalists, and free speech and other civil liberties organizations; and who speak a relevant foreign language.

Please submit a cover letter explaining your interest in the position, including a description of any relevant life or work experience, your Curriculum Vitae, two legal writing samples (either an unedited copy of a pre-filing brief or legal memorandum to a client), and a list of references. Additional information may be requested during the application process.

To ensure maximum consideration, please submit all application materials by Friday, June 26, 2020. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, with priority given to early applicants.