Postgraduate Legal Fellowship

Position Type: Full-time, exempt; Term-limited one or two year position. This position is part of a collective bargaining unit represented by CWA Local 9410.

Location: San Francisco, CA. This is a hybrid role that is required to work in the office 2 days a week.

The Organization

ALC is the nation’s first legal organization focusing on advancing and defending the civil rights of Asian and Pacific Islander (API) communities. Since 1972, ALC has fought for access to affordable housing in San Francisco’s Chinatown, litigated high profile civil rights cases, advocated for the passage of landmark policy changes, and provided an array of services, including community education, advocacy, and direct client representation to further the rights of low-income immigrants and communities of color, across our Immigrant Justice, workers' rights, housing rights, and National Democracy Initiative programs, and other emerging areas of law.

ALC is based in San Francisco, a hub of the Asian American rights movement, progressive politics, and social justice activism. Our building in Chinatown is the first mixed-use, affordable housing co-op in San Francisco, serving as a model for preserving affordable housing in the city and protecting tenants’ rights.

The Opportunity

Asian Law Caucus welcomes interest from law students or recent law graduates who would like to pursue fellowships with ALC.

We are now accepting applications from individuals interested in applying for external fellowship programs for placements beginning in fall 2027. The following program teams may host fellows:

● The Democracy and National Initiatives Program (DNI) pursues the promise of democracy for all. Rooted in ALC’s movement lawyering leadership, DNI projects include election protection and voting rights advocacy; litigation and community campaigns to preserve birthright citizenship; narrative, advocacy, and legal support for community partner organizations; Asian American Leaders Table and coalition-building.

● The Housing Rights Program defends the rights of low-income tenants in the Bay Area and Northern California and provides culturally and linguistically competent assistance with a focus on immigrant communities, seniors, and those living with disabilities. We engage in community education and outreach and advocate for local and state policies that preserve housing, create affordable housing options, and decrease inequities in housing and land use.

● The Immigrant Justice Program works at the intersection of the U.S. criminal legal and immigration systems to keep families and communities together. We represent and advocate for low-income immigrants facing deportation due to criminal convictions and partner with community members, families, and immigrant rights groups to delay and stop deportations and dismantle systems of mass incarceration.

● The Workers Rights Program aims to strengthen worker power and defend labor protections. We engage in direct services, strategic litigation, and policy advocacy on issues including immigration-related threats, wage and hour violations, retaliation, and race/national origin discrimination. Our program also works closely with worker centers and community partners to support worker organizing.

Compensation and Benefits: The salary is $87,550 for a recent graduate or someone with 0-1 years of experience. The compensation is determined based on relevant years of experience and in accordance with the negotiated salary scale in the union contract for this position.

This position is eligible for language premiums for demonstrated proficiency in a language other than English that is regularly used in their job duties. The annual premium is $1,500 for oral proficiency and $1,500 for written proficiency in each language.

ALC’s comprehensive benefits package includes the following: generous vacation and paid holidays; medical, dental, disability, and life insurance coverage (ALC pays 100% of premiums for employees and 75% for qualified dependents); a flexible spending account (FSA); commuter benefits; and 401(k) retirement plan with employer non-elective contribution and match.

Application Process

Interested candidates should submit via BreezyHR (as PDF attachments), the following:

(1) A letter of interest. Please describe your interest in partnering with ALC, including any focus on specific issue areas and/or communities, and highlight relevant experience and demonstrated commitment. Please also identify which external fellowship programs you wish to pursue. A brief description of initial project ideas is encouraged, but not required.

(2) Resume

(3) Transcript

(4) Writing sample (no more than 10 pages)

(5) Three professional references (including one direct supervisor reference)

Deadline: Applications for fellowships will be reviewed on a rolling basis and must be submitted on or before June 26, 2026 for consideration for Fall 2027 start dates. We review applications for students or recent graduates seeking to apply for other fellowships (including school-based fellowships) on a rolling basis throughout the year.

Asian Law Caucus is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified persons are encouraged to apply, regardless of race, color, religion, religious creed (including religious dress

and grooming practices), national origin, ancestry, citizenship, physical or mental disability, medical condition (including HIV, cancer and genetic characteristics), genetic information, marital or domestic partner status, reproductive health decision-making, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical conditions) gender (including gender identity and gender expression), age (40 years and over), sexual orientation, veteran and/or military status, protected medical leaves (requesting or approved for leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act or the California Family Rights Act), domestic violence victim and survivor status, political affiliation, height, weight, or any other status protected by federal, state, or local laws.