THE PUBLIC INTEREST LAW PROJECT SEEKS FELLOWSHIP APPLICANTS FOR FALL 2019

Founded in 1996, The Public Interest Law Project (PILP) is a nonprofit legal support center for California legal services and other public interest law programs. PILP advances justice for low income people and communities by building the capacity of legal services organizations through impact litigation, trainings, and publications, and by advocating for low income community groups and individuals. Its five attorneys are experienced in complex litigation in state and federal courts and public policy advocacy. We focus on affordable housing, public benefits, health care, and anti-displacement. We provide experience, capacity and guidance to our frontline partners as they bring unflinching advocacy and litigation on behalf of their clients.PILP seeks to sponsor applicants for Skadden, Equal Justice Works, Soros, and other fellowships. We are looking for applicants with a demonstrated commitment to poverty law work, especially in affordable housing and public benefits. We offer a unique opportunity for a fellow to develop expertise in critically important areas of poverty law and valuable experience in all stages of complex litigation with excellent mentors. We will work with the applicant to develop a social justice project in our practice areas.PILP’s affordable housing practice emphasizes production, preservation, and anti-displacement strategies, utilizing California’s Housing Element, redevelopment, and inclusionary housing laws, and federal and state fair housing law. Our public benefits practice concentrates on food insecurity, health care, CalWORKs, and other subsistence benefits such as General Assistance.

SOME CURRENT CASES AND ADVOCACY INCLUDE:

Defense of Mountain View’s Rent Control Initiative. With co-counsel (Law Foundation of Silicon Valley, Stanford Community Law Clinic, and Fenwick & West) we represented intervening low income tenants, initiative proponents, and community groups, successfully defending Mountain View’s rent control initiative ordinance from a constitutional attack. (California Apartment Assn. v. City of Mountain View).Rural General Assistance Project (Rural GAP). Now in its fourth year, this project focuses on increasing access to General Assistance benefits – the cash and aid of last resort – in rural communities throughout California. This year, with co-counsel CRLA, we settled Pineda v. Monterey County. The County agreed to provide the housing portion of the GA grant to homeless recipients, revise its notice and hearing procedures, and raise the minimum grant. We estimate this will result in the County providing approximately $5.7 million per year in additional benefits. PILP’s Rural GAP project has brought approximately $47 million in additional benefits to low-income residents over the past four years.Fresno Agrees to Rezone Sites for Affordable Housing Development. In Familias Addams v. City of Fresno with Leadership Counsel we represented lower income persons and a community group in the Familias Addams neighborhood of Fresno to compel the City to zone sites to accommodate its unmet housing needs, a responsibility that had been ignored since 2009. After several demands, the clients filed suit. Before the final hearing, the City relented, resulting in rezoning to accommodate 14,000 units.Qualifications: The applicant must have a demonstrated commitment to social and economic justice and California State Bar membership by December 2019.Salary: Depending on fellowshipApplication Instructions: If you are interested in applying for a fellowship with PILP, please submit the following to fellowships@pilpca.org by July 27, 2018:

• Cover letter
• Resume
• List of three references
• Writing sample
• Current transcript

Electronic applications are preferred but, if necessary, please mail materials attention: Fellowship Applications. No telephone calls please.

The Public Interest Law Project (PILP) is an Equal Opportunity Employer and values a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. We strongly encourage people of color, women, people with disabilities, older people, LGBTQ people, and individuals from other underrepresented groups to apply. It is PILP’s policy to prohibit discrimination and harassment of any type and to establish and maintain equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, ancestry, religion, disability, age, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, medical condition, veteran status, national origin, marital, and any other protected status.