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Work With Us
Law Firms
General Inquiries
We welcome law firms interested in participating in our programs to let us know of the areas and jurisdictions of practice in which they offer expertise on a pro bono basis: Vance@nycbar.org.
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Specialized Services
Request for Expressions of Interest (EOI) for Provision of Legal Services for Reporters Shield
The Vance Center and Reporters Shield are actively seeking lawyers and/or law firms with the qualifications, skills, and experience to provide legal services to clients. Reporters Shield is a membership program that defends investigative and other public interest reporting organizations worldwide from legal threats and claims meant to silence critical voices. Reporters Shield helps reduce the risk of lawsuits through training and funds legal assistance to fight lawsuits meant to intimidate and financially burden reporters (such as “strategic lawsuits against public participation,” or SLAPPs).
Through this Request for Expressions of Interest, the Vance Center and Reporters Shield invite eligible lawyers to indicate their interest in providing these services.
Careers
Open Positions
We are accepting rolling applications for all open positions until they are filled. We recommend applying as soon as possible to ensure your application is considered.
Senior Staff Attorney, Lawyers for Reporters (Public Interest Reporting Program)
The Senior Staff Attorney will work with the Lawyers for Reporters team to counsel independent publishers of news and journalism support organizations across the U.S. Candidates should have demonstrable experience in employment and/or general corporate and transactional law, with an interest in developing broad expertise in legal areas affecting news and public interest publishers and taking on primary responsibility for client matters in these areas. This position will assume significant responsibility for risk management and compliance advising services, in collaboration with our program partners.
See the full job description and apply here.
Staff Attorney, Public Interest Reporting Program
The Staff Attorney will undertake a range of activities with the Vance Center’s Public Interest Reporting program, including new client intake and assessing legal needs; direct provision of legal advice and representation; communicating as needed with law firms regarding pro bono services and co-counseling clients with private practitioners; creating and conducting training sessions, templates and toolboxes, and workshops for newsrooms and client operations departments; and coordinating with the Vance Center’s development and communications teams to interface with private foundations, law firms, the press, and other journalism support organizations. Candidates should have demonstrable experience analyzing various complex legal issues, including disputes, contracts, and regulatory matters, providing advice to clients, and presenting to small and large audiences on legal topics.
See the full job description and apply here.
Pro Bono Legal Manager
The Pro Bono Manager, reporting to the Vance Center’s Associate Executive Director, will manage the placement and tracking of pro bono projects with law firms and pro bono clearinghouses, manage the Pro Bono Promotion efforts and the Keep Families Together initiative.
See the full job description and apply here.
Ongoing Opportunities
We welcome inquiries about internship, externship, and volunteer opportunities from law students, law graduates, and lawyers at any time. Email us at vance@nycbar.org and we will respond to your query as soon as possible.
NGOs
We welcome inquiries from nonprofit organizations throughout the world regarding the availability of pro bono legal advice concerning issues of international and comparative environmental, humanitarian, human rights and media law, particularly regarding climate change and natural resource sustainability, women’s, LGBTQ, children’s, disabled persons’, indigenous, human rights defenders’, atrocity victims’, and free press and privacy rights.
We cannot provide legal assistance to individuals except in exceptional circumstances and cannot respond regularly to requests for such assistance.
Please contact us at Vance@nycbar.org for any inquiries.