CLINICAL FELLOW

Center on Wrongful Convictions of Youth
Northwestern University School of Law
Bluhm Legal Clinic

The Center on Wrongful Convictions of Youth (“CWCY”), housed at the Northwestern University School of Law’s Bluhm Legal Clinic, is an organization dedicated to identifying, investigating, and litigating credible innocence claims of wrongfully convicted young people, and advocating for system and practice reforms that will decrease the likelihood that any youth will be wrongfully convicted. We are seeking a Clinical Fellow to lead a national organizing effort and educational campaign centered on increasing the reliability of juvenile convictions and reforming the ways police interrogate youthful suspects and witnesses.

Working as part of a team with the CWCY founders, advisory board, and attorneys, the Campaign Director will develop, track, coordinate, and participate in a targeted advocacy campaign in states throughout the country. Tasks may include:

• Building an active coalition of local and national partners
• Analyzing existing and pending federal and state legislation relevant to questioning youth, including efforts related to electronic recording of police interrogations
• Devising strategies to target particular states for reform campaigns
• Leading an education effort both for stakeholders within the juvenile and criminal justice systems and a public education campaign on the necessity of reliable evidence and youth interrogation reform
• Directing our communication effort, including maintenance and updating of our Web site
• Communicating past and pending cases of wrongfully convicted youth

A J.D. degree is required. The ideal candidate will also have:

• A knowledge of juvenile and criminal justice issues, including a level of expertise of interrogation-related issues
• Previous experience working on a campaign or coalition-building organizing
• Demonstrated success advocating for progressive state-based policy change
• Proven ability to successfully manage multiple, various tasks
• Spanish fluency

Please submit a resume and cover letter to Joshua Tepfer at j-tepfer@law.northwestern.edu.
Applications must be submitted by July 30, 2010. Salary is commensurate with experience.

Northwestern University actively seeks women, minorities, veterans, and disabled persons for employment and promotion to maintain a university community based on equal opportunity, to reflect the diversity of American society, and to improve opportunity for women and minorities.