Promote social justice and defend the civil rights of Oakland's most vulnerable - legal clerkships

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The Oakland City Attorney’s Office seeks future public leaders to serve as summer law clerks for its Community Lawyering and Civil Rights Unit. or its Neighborhood Law Corps ("NLC"). Clerks will work closely with Deputy City Attorneys and NLC Attorneys and gain substantive experience in public lawyering through assisting with case development, conducting legal claims research, and attending hearings and depositions.

The Community Lawyering and Civil Rights Unit is a new project launched by City Attorney Barbara Parker to prosecute social justice cases in areas including but not limited to housing, wage theft, and civil rights in order to ensure all persons in Oakland are treated fairly and with dignity. This new unit will also draft local ordinances and resolutions, serving as a progressive think tank within local government.

The NLC is an award-winning unit within the City Attorney’s Office that functions as its direct connection to Oakland’s communities. The NLC focuses on difficult issues facing neighborhoods such as human trafficking, substandard housing, and community safety. NLC attorneys seek innovative ways to deal with Oakland’s most difficult problems.

Although summer law clerks generally must be available to work full-time for at least 10 weeks over the course of the summer, exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis. Summer law clerk positions are unpaid, but students may be eligible to receive funding or credit from their law school.

The City Attorney’s Office is an equal opportunity/ reasonable accommodation employer and encourages applications from candidates with diverse backgrounds and experiences.

Interested students should submit a résumé, a brief writing sample (10 double-spaced pages or less) and a cover letter. In your cover letter, you should indicate which Division you are most interested in, highlight any relevant experience you may have, and indicate the dates you are available to work.