Appleseed is hiring a Legal Fellow to help launch new program supporting justice-involved women

Job Description: Legal Fellow – Supporting Justice-Involved Women

About Alabama Appleseed: ​Alabama Appleseed is a non-profit, non-partisan 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1999 whose mission is to confront unjust systems through research, bridge building and advocacy to create an Alabama that prioritizes justice and opportunity. Alabama Appleseed fulfills this mission through four pillars of work: research, coalition building, legislative advocacy, and direct legal and reentry services. Its campaigns use policy analysis, research and documentation, legislative action, public education, community organizing, pro bono engagement, coalition building, and legal services. Alabama Appleseed is a vibrant, growing organization that prides itself on creating strategic, evidence-based solutions to some of the most pressing problems in Alabama, and allowing the ingenuity of our staff to lead the way.  

Alabama Appleseed is a member of the national Appleseed Network, which includes 19 Appleseed centers across the U.S. and in Mexico City. 

Position Summary: Alabama Appleseed seeks a Legal Fellow to support a new project, Supporting Justice Involved Women–Survivors, Mothers, Communities. This is a collaborative project in which we will be working with Oklahoma and Missouri Appleseed centers on shared goals and strategies. Alabama Appleseed has secured two years of funding to launch this effort to investigate and document the scope and size of the population of incarcerated survivors of violence in Alabama. The legal fellow will correspond with women, investigate cases, conduct legal research, develop and implement surveys in an effort to develop narratives and storytelling efforts around this issue. The fellow will work closely with Appleseed legal staff to represent women in post-conviction proceedings, parole hearings, and compassionate release efforts. The fellow will work closely with the Policy Director to explore and develop survivor justice legislation.

Recent law school graduates are encouraged to apply.

The Legal Fellow reports to the Executive Director and works closely with the Staff Attorney and legal assistant. This is a grant funded, fulltime position based in Appleseed’s Birmingham office and will require some statewide travel. Grant funding is currently available for two years. Extension of employment beyond the two year grant will be dependent on additional funding being secured.

 Responsibilities:

• Develop a deep understanding of the legal landscape around domestic violence, self defense, and criminalized survival both in Alabama and across the country. Develop expertise in successful survivor justice legislative campaigns in states such as Oklahoma, Georgia, and New York.
• Develop relationships with prospective allies including organizations that serve victims of domestic violence, advocates for incarcerated woman, and elected officials, both at the state and local level;
• Lead an effort to create a database of incarcerated women in Alabama whose criminalization stems from their victimization, coercion from a domestic partner or other factors unique to their gender;
• Document the harm created by longterm incarceration of survivors by interviewing incarcerated survivors and recently released survivors, drafting blog posts and narratives, and contributing to Appleseed’s storytelling efforts.
• Assist in identifying legal clients for representation in parole hearings, postconviction proceedings, and compassionate release efforts;
• Gather data and stories on domestic violence homicides in Alabama;
• Draft legal documents such as parole support letters and post conviction pleadings;
• Assist in various communication efforts about the project;
• Work within the Appleseed network, particularly with partners in Missouri and Oklahoma Appleseed on collaborative efforts;
• Assist in correspondence with incarcerated individuals;
• Contribute occasionally to other organizational needs as might arise in a small nonprofit, particularly related to organization-wide projects such as the annual fundraiser, report distributions, and communications.

Qualifications:

• Demonstrated commitment to Alabama Appleseed’s mission, vision, and approach to advocacy;
• Bachelor’s degree;
• J.D. and either admission to the Alabama Bar or scheduled to take the Bar Exam in 2025;
• Strong initiative and ability to manage and complete projects with minimal supervision;
• Valid automobile driver’s license – this position will travel throughout Alabama;
• Deomstrated ability to get along and work collaboratively with diverse personalities;
• Ability to multi-task effectively and occasionally embrace administrative duties;
• Strong research and writing skills;
• Skilled in Excel, Microsoft Word, Powerpoint, and googledocs.

​Salary and Benefits: This position offers a salary range of $50,000 to $55,000, depending on experience, along with a benefits package including health insurance with fully paid premiums, generous paid leave, paid holidays, 401(k) after one year with employer match; reimbursement of travel-related expenses.

To Apply: Send a cover letter, resume, writing sample, and three references to Alabama Appleseed’s Executive Director, Carla Crowder, at carla.crowder@alabamaappleseed.org. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and accepted until the position is filled. Please write “Legal Fellow” in the subject line. 

The injustices that we are fighting in Alabama today are directly connected to long histories of inequality and oppression in this state. As we build our team to fight for a better Alabama, we know that people who have historically been overlooked need to lead. For this reason, we welcome and strongly encourage applications from people of color, women, people with criminal histories, people from working class backgrounds, and LGBTQ people.

Alabama Appleseed values an inclusive culture and diverse workforce. Alabama Appleseed encourages applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status, and record of arrest or conviction.