Cornell University, Law School

Position ID:

Cornell-Law School-LJFFA [#30324]

Position Title:

Local Journalism Fellow, First Amendment Clinic

Position Type:

Postdoctoral

Position Location:

Ithaca, New York 14850, United States of America

Subject Area:

Law

Appl Deadline:

2025/09/15 11:59PM help popup

** (posted 2025/08/01, listed until 2026/02/01)

Position Description:

The Local Journalism Project, a special initiative within the Cornell Law School First Amendment Clinic, has in its five-year existence become one of the country’s most effective and essential organizations providing pro bono legal services to local media outlets and journalists throughout the country, with geographic emphasis in New York, Pennsylvania, and Vermont. It is a basic tenet of the Local Journalism Project that supporting and enhancing local journalism strengthens democracy. In supporting the local journalism ecosystem, the Local Journalism Project has also taught dozens of law students litigation skills that they have deployed on behalf of local journalism clients.

Reporting to the Associate Director of the Clinic and the Managing Attorney of the Local Journalism Project, and working with the legal staff and students of the Clinic, the Local Journalism Fellow will provide legal support to the Local Journalism Project’s active litigation docket. As part of a law school clinic, the Local Journalism Project has two core objectives: (1) litigating and supporting cases and other legal proceedings that aid and defend journalists and media outlets in their news-gathering functions; and (2) cultivating lawyers who are educated about freedom of speech and press principles embodied in the First Amendment and inspiring and preparing them to pursue careers defending such principles. Responsibilities include the following:

Provide supervision to students in the Clinic, including feedback, mentoring, and training.
Manage ongoing cases that are either staffed with students or handled by staff alone, ensuring that the work is done in a timely and professional manner.
Provide counseling and other legal support to clients of the Local Journalism Project on non-litigation matters, including pre-publication review, newsgathering activities, access and public records advice, commercial and other operational and organizational advice.
Assist with the organization and teaching of the Clinic, focusing on substantive knowledge of First Amendment doctrine and the litigation process, as well as effective legal writing, advocacy, and client relations skills.
Help organize, and participate in the teaching of each semester's First Amendment Bootcamp.
Help develop the focus of cases the Local Journalism Project will take on that support, protect and defend clients’ ability to gather and publish news and that challenge attempts to restrict their ability to publish.
Help hire for and supervise interns for the Clinic's summer program.
Collaborate with the Clinic staff on programming to bring press-related issues to the broader Law School and University communities.
Help maintain relationships within the legal and journalism community, including law firms and advocacy organizations that focus on local journalism, First Amendment clinics at other law schools, and regional news platforms and journalists.

The successful candidate will be based in Ithaca, NY and is expected to work on-site. This full-time position is for a two-year term, and is benefits eligible. Employment through the intended term is contingent on successful performance and continued funding. The expected start date for the position is October 1, 2025, although some flexibility may be available.

Qualifications:

The Local Journalism Fellow must be a law graduate, with significant litigation experience and a background in constitutional law. They must either be admitted to the practice of law in New York, prepared to take the New York bar exam prior to beginning the Fellowship, or be admitted on written motion after hiring. A clerkship (or clerkships) and prior work in the media industry are desirable, but not required.

To Apply:

Please submit a cover letter, curriculum vitae, three references, a writing sample (should be an unedited or slightly edited brief or bench memo), and other significant supporting materials. To ensure maximum consideration, please submit all application materials by September 15, 2025. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, with priority given to early applicants.

The anticipated starting salary for this position is $72,500.

Pay Range:

$61,008-$87,000

About Us:

Founded in 1887, Cornell Law School is a top-tier law school. We offer a 3-year JD program for about 200 students per class, a one-year LLM program for about 90 students from countries throughout the world, and a doctoral (JSD) program for about 2-3 new students per year. Cornell Law School has 41 tenured and tenure-track faculty, including 20 with chaired faculty positions; and 15 clinical professors in the legal research and writing program and in clinics at the local, national, and international level. Our faculty is consistently ranked among the top in the country for scholarly productivity and influence, and has pre-eminence in many areas, including quantitative and qualitative empirical legal studies, international and comparative law, and robust doctrinal scholarship in core fields. Our school is committed to being recognized as the leader among law schools at combining inspiring theoretical, doctrinal, and experiential teaching with cutting-edge scholarship in a supportive, intellectually rich community, so that our graduates can achieve excellence in all facets of the legal profession.

Cornell University is an innovative Ivy League university and a great place to work. Our inclusive community of scholars, students and staff impart an uncommon sense of larger purpose and contribute creative ideas to further the university's mission of teaching, discovery and engagement. With our main campus located in Ithaca, NY, Cornell's far-flung global presence includes the medical college's campuses on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and Doha, Qatar, as well as the Cornell Tech campus located on Roosevelt Island in the heart of New York City. We offer a rich array of services, programs and benefits to help employees advance in their career and enhance the quality of personal life, including: employee wellness, workshops, childcare and adoption assistance, parental leave, flexible work options.

Employment Assistance:

For specific questions about the position or application process, please contact the Recruiter listed in the job posting or for general questions email mycareer@cornell.edu.

If you require an accommodation for a disability in order to complete an employment application or to participate in the recruiting process, you are encouraged to contact Cornell Office of Civil Rights at voice (607) 255-2242, or email at accommodations@cornell.edu.

Applicants that do not have internet access are encouraged to visit your local library, or local Department of Labor.

Please read the required Notice to Applicants statement by clicking here. This notice contains important information about applying for a position at Cornell as well as some of your rights and responsibilities as an applicant.

EEO Statement:

Cornell welcomes students, faculty, and staff with diverse backgrounds from across the globe to pursue world-class education and career opportunities, to further the founding principle of “... any person ... any study.” No person shall be denied employment on the basis of any legally protected status or subjected to prohibited discrimination involving, but not limited to, such factors as race, ethnic or national origin, citizenship and immigration status, color, sex, pregnancy or pregnancy-related conditions, age, creed, religion, actual or perceived disability (including persons associated with such a person), arrest and/or conviction record, military or veteran status, sexual orientation, gender expression and/or identity, an individual’s genetic information, domestic violence victim status, familial status, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Cornell University embraces diversity in its workforce and seeks job candidates who will contribute to a climate that supports students, faculty, and staff of all identities and backgrounds. We hire based on merit, and encourage people from historically underrepresented and/or marginalized identities to apply. Consistent with federal law, Cornell engages in affirmative action in employment for qualified protected veterans as defined in the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRRA) and qualified individuals with disabilities under Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act. We also recognize a lawful preference in employment practices for Native Americans living on or near Indian reservations in accordance with applicable law.

Pay Ranges:

The hiring rate of pay for the successful candidate will be determined considering the following criteria:

Prior relevant work or industry experience.
Education level to the extent education is relevant to the position.
Academic Discipline (faculty pay ranges reflects 9-month annual salary)
Unique applicable skills.

Application Materials Required:

Submit the following items online at this website to complete your application:

Cover letter
Curriculum Vitae
Other Significant Supporting Material (optional)
Writing Sample
Three references (no actual letters, just names and email addresses )

And anything else requested in the position description.

Further Info:

https://www.lawschool.cornell.edu/Clinical-Programs/first-amendment-clinic/About-us.cfm

607-255-2101

Cornell Law School
G58 Myron Taylor Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853