Cornell University, Law School

Program ID:

Cornell-Law School-MHRPF [#30923]

Program Title:

Research & Advocacy Fellow, Migration & Human Rights Program

Program Type:

Postdoctoral

Location:

Ithaca, New York 14850, United States of America

Subject Area:

Law

Appl Deadline:

2025/11/03 11:59PM help popup

** (posted 2025/10/20, listed until 2025/11/03)

Description:

The Migration & Human Rights Program (MHRP) at Cornell Law School seeks a fellow to engage in legal and policy research, support public education efforts, collaborate with the Program’s distinguished non-resident fellows. The fellow will also provide legal services on immigration and strategic litigation matters, including SIJS, asylum, detention advocacy, and transnational litigation. We anticipate the fellow’s time will be evenly split between the policy and legal services work.

Responsibilities include the following:

Managing ongoing cases, ensuring that the work is done in a timely and professional manner.
Engaging in professional development training and learning any area of immigration law they are not already familiar with.
Continuing to upgrade knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to keep abreast of regulation/policy changes.
Providing counseling and other legal support to clients and partners of the MHRP on non-litigation matters.
Drafting and preparing research and advocacy publications addressing areas of immigration law and policy.
Assisting with the organization and teaching of public educational programs, focusing on substantive immigration law and the changing litigation and advocacy landscape.
Helping and supervising interns and Research Assistants.
Collaborating with the MHRP team on programming to bring news and perspectives on immigration issues to the broader University and national communities.
Assisting with the organization and work of MHRP Fellows.
Supporting the Program Co-Directors to ensure the effective management of the Program and collaborating with the Program Coordinator to support Program grant fundraising and communications efforts.

This full-time, grant-funded position is for a one-year term, and is benefits eligible. Employment through the intended term, as well as potential reappointment, is contingent on successful performance and continued funding. The successful candidate will be based in Ithaca, NY and is expected to work on-site. Occasional travel for casework and projects may be required.

The anticipated start date for the position is November 16, 2025.

Qualifications:

Applicants must have a law degree (J.D.) and be admitted in good standing to a state bar for at least two years. The ideal candidate will have the following:

Minimum of 2-4 years of experience in immigration law representation or policy work.
Experience in humanitarian immigration applications and/or business immigration law, including H-1B, PERM, and similar visas.
Outstanding lawyering skills.
Experience producing clear and succinct products for a policy audience.
Exemplary communication skills (both written and oral).
Demonstrated tenacity and dedication, a successful track record of working effectively with diverse and vulnerable client populations, and a demonstrated commitment to the client communities served by the MHRP.
Strong organizational and time management skills are essential.
Professionalism, including an ability to manage multiple tasks, work independently, and seek guidance when appropriate.
Ability to work effectively in a diverse team environment.
Proficiency in Spanish or another non-English language is strongly preferred.

To Apply:

Please submit a cover letter, curriculum vitae, the names of and contact information for three references, a writing sample (should be an unedited or slightly edited brief or bench memo or policy brief), and other significant supporting materials.

To ensure maximum consideration, please submit all application materials by November 3, 2025. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, with priority given to early applicants.

The anticipated starting salary for this position is $75,000-$80,000.

Pay Range:

$61,008-$87,000

About Us:

The Migration & Human Rights Program is an interdisciplinary, non-partisan migration center with a unique approach in the U.S., given its rural, national and global reach, centered in research, practice, and community engagement. A joint venture between the Cornell Law School and the Brooks School of Public Policy, MHRP brings together a diverse team of scholars, policy experts, legal practitioners, and students to reshape the local, state, national and international conversation on migration and human rights. MHRP advances impactful policy recommendations, scalable models of legal service delivery, and dissemination of new research and data, all of which are informed by clinical practice that benefits local communities and shapes jurisprudence. MHRP functions as a policy laboratory where theory and practice inform one another in real-time. Its strength lies in a unique blend of policy experience at the highest level of the federal government under both Republican and Democratic administrations, experience in senior positions advising industry leaders and employers, and grassroots legal clinical work. This makes it a hub where thought leadership and academic innovation intersect with on-the-ground execution in immigration law and policy.

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 description.

Further Info:

hhttps://sites.lawschool.cornell.edu/immigration/

607-255-2101

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