Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund (DREDF), located in Berkeley, California, is delighted to invite recent law school graduates with disabilities to apply for the 2024 Judy Heumann Legal Fellowship, a new fellowship at DREDF. The Heumann Fellow will work for DREDF for a one-year period beginning Fall 2024.
Judith (“Judy”) Heumann was an internationally recognized leader of the disability rights movement. She spearheaded the successful fight for strong regulations implementing the Rehabilitation Act. She was a key witness during the hearings leading up to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, testifying to her many experiences of disability discrimination. She served in the Obama and Clinton administrations and was featured in the 2020 documentary Crip Camp.
Judy worked at the Berkeley Center for Independent Living when it started the project that became DREDF in 1979. She later served as one of DREDF’s most active board members, lending her voice and wisdom to numerous campaigns to defend and advance disability civil rights. Throughout her legendary career, she fought for the respect, dignity, and inclusion of all disabled people. Judy died in 2023.
DREDF is a national, non-profit law and policy organization dedicated to protecting and advancing the civil and human rights of people with disabilities through legal advocacy, education, legislation, and public policy. We work to enforce the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, the Fair Housing Act Amendments, and other civil rights laws. DREDF regularly works with legal fellows and law student interns, and DREDF lawyers teach disability rights law at Bay Area law schools. Our staff includes attorneys, special education advocates, and policy analysts, providing an interdisciplinary approach to disability rights issues.
Our advocacy priorities include defending and advancing the rights of disabled people in: education; access to government programs and services; housing; health care including long-term services and supports; transportation; technology; parenting and the dependency system; and self-determination and decision-making.
Qualifications
- Completion of J.D. prior to start of fellowship (and not earlier than 2021)
- California bar membership or a plan to become a member
- Demonstrated commitment to social justice and public interest law
- Established knowledge of and interest in civil rights and disability rights laws
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively with others
- Excellent legal research and writing skills
How to Apply
By Friday, March 29, 2024, submit the following materials to info@dredf.org. Please write “Heumann Fellowship [LAST NAME]” in the subject line.
- Cover letter describing your interest in DREDF and the Judy Heumann Legal Fellowship
- Resume
- Law school transcript
- Writing sample
- Three professional or academic references
Equal Opportunity Employer
DREDF values diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, and does not discriminate based on race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, or weight. We encourage and welcome people of color, people with disabilities, higher weight people, working class people, people who were first generation to attend college, parents of children with disabilities, LGBTQI+ people, and people with additional diverse life experiences and backgrounds to apply. Applicants may choose to include information about diverse life experiences in their cover letters.
Compensation
DREDF lawyers are paid according to a salary scale. A new attorney with no experience is paid $85,000.
Questions
Please contact Hongyu Min at hmin@dredf.org with any questions.