PEN’s Free Expression Program seeks a law student to work as a Legal Associate for Fall 2016. The Free Expression Program is the advocacy arm of PEN, acting as a powerful voice on behalf of writers harassed, imprisoned, and sometimes killed for their views, and fighting for free expression in the U.S. and around the world. The Legal Associate’s work will span a broad range of topics and countries and will not be limited to legal questions, including:
- Legal and policy research on U.S. free expression issues including mass surveillance, open internet, and press freedoms, as well as First Amendment cases currently being litigated;
- Legal and policy research on current free expression issues and the wider political, human rights, NGO and literary contexts in PEN’s major focus countries (including but not limited to China, Ethiopia, Haiti, India, Iran, Mexico, Myanmar, Nigeria, Russia, South Africa and Turkey);
- Research and monitoring of new developments in PEN’s Freedom to Write individual cases;
- Involvement in the development of new media materials and posts;
- Drafting of advocacy materials including press releases, memos, briefing papers and reports.
We require a minimum time commitment of 10-15 hours per week for this internship. The position is unpaid.
Qualifications:
- Experience conducting legal research and drafting legal memos; First Amendment experience a plus;
- Experience conducting research on political and historical subjects;
- Strong writing skills;
- Proficiency in languages other than English a plus;
- Familiarity with human rights law and advocacy a plus.
To apply:
Please send your CV and a one-page maximum cover letter to [email protected]. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. No phone calls, please.
