Partners for Justice (PFJ) is seeking Client Advocates for its Professional Fellowship Program in multiple locations nationwide. Advocates will support public defender clients throughout the legal process, helping to identify client priorities, connect clients with community social services, and assess potential enmeshed penalties of legal system contact.
About Partners for Justice:
PFJ was founded to transform public defense at scale, diminishing the effect of race and wealth on legal outcomes. This means empowering public defenders to assist clients with the underlying drivers of arrest and achieve better legal and non-legal outcomes, ensuring people can walk away from the criminal legal system with their rights, lives, and future intact. As a national nonprofit organization, PFJ partners with public defenders in 20 states nationwide through our Professional Fellowship program, advisory services, training, and communications.
Responsibilities
Conduct client interviews and build relationships with clients to understand their priorities, identify potential enmeshed penalties of arrest, and assess barriers to the client accessing desired services.
Refer clients, based on their priorities, to community programs and social services such as housing, employment, social and medical benefits, and treatment.
Identify potential civil, family, and immigration legal needs with a nexus to the client’s criminal case and refer clients to legal partners for consultation and representation.
Build partnerships with local community organizations and government agencies to maintain knowledge about available services and facilitate access for clients.
Develop and maintain a resource guide of available social and legal services in the local community and in the county more broadly.
Advocate for clients by engaging with service providers, landlords, employers, and others, conveying clients' stories and needs in a compelling way that gets results.
In coordination with attorneys, write persuasive narratives and recommendations to be used in court proceedings.
Coordinate with legal and social service teams to facilitate collaboration and communication on client cases.
Maintain detailed knowledge of court processes and requirements; share information with clients and their families about the criminal legal process and assist clients in overcoming barriers to meeting court requirements.
Collect and report data about your work and achievements.
Actively participate in the Partners for Justice Professional Fellowship program.
Looking For:
A demonstrated interest in public service or social justice.
Strong relationship management skills or customer support experience.
Outstanding verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to draft professional written narratives suitable for submission in court proceedings.
Comfort in working with minimal oversight and the ability to independently structure your own work.
Past work or volunteer experience within a public defender office, a legal office serving low-income people, or in social service delivery is preferred.
Experience bringing trauma-informed approaches to direct service work or enthusiasm for learning how to engage in trauma-informed advocacy.
Reliable transportation.
Professional-level Spanish language skills are highly va
Compensation
Annual compensation ranges from $44,000 to $61,000, depending on office placement. In addition to the fellowship’s supplemental benefits, employment benefits are specific to the placement office and may vary; however, all placements include medical coverage and paid time off. During the interview process, we provide more information on the compensation and benefits package for specific placements. As part of the PFJ Professional Fellowship, you will also have access to the benefits described above, such as career support, mental health programming, and ongoing training and mentorship
To Apply
Are you ready to create meaningful impact, serve clients, and gain hands-on experience in the criminal legal system? If so, please apply at www.partnersforjustice.org/apply!
The fellowship application consists of a resume submission and short answer questions. We assess your responses both for their substance and for your writing ability. Please provide sufficiently lengthy responses (3-6 sentences) so that we may evaluate your writing skills. The fellowship selection process consists of three stages: a pre-recorded first-round interview, a virtual final interview with a PFJ staff person, and a meeting for final placement approval with public defender staff.
Additional information on our selection process and timeframe can be found on our website. For any questions, feel free to contact us at apply@partnersforjustice.org.