The Uniform Law Commission (ULC) seeks a motivated and public-spirited attorney for a one-year appointment to the ULC staff in Chicago as a ULC Fellow.
Founded in 1892, the Uniform Law Commission drafts uniform state laws on subjects for which uniformity is desirable and practical. The ULC provides states with non-partisan, well-conceived, and well-drafted legislation that brings clarity and stability to the critical areas of state statutory law. The ULC is comprised of several hundred judges, professors, and lawyers in private and public practice, appointed from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Acts developed by the ULC include the Uniform Commercial Code, the Uniform Probate Code, and many acts in commercial, family, real property, trusts and estates, criminal justice, and business organization law and other areas. For more information, please go to www.uniformlaws.org.
This fellowship provides an opportunity to work with distinguished lawyers from across the country and with the ULC staff. In the process, the Fellow will develop an understanding of the state legislative process and significant areas of the law. The Fellow, who will report to the ULC Executive Director, Legislative Program Director, and Chief Counsel, may be eligible for reappointment by the ULC for no more than one additional year.
The primary responsibility of the Fellow will be to undertake research projects that support the work of ULC committees, particularly the Scope and Program Committee, which makes recommendations regarding new study and drafting projects. Examples of possible projects include researching topics on which the ULC may consider drafting uniform acts and investigating whether existing uniform acts should be amended or revised.
The Fellow must be able to (1) undertake complex legal research projects effectively and in a timely manner; (2) organize, analyze, and communicate complex legal information quickly and effectively; (3) write clearly and concisely; and (4) work independently with minimal supervision. Required: a J.D. degree from an ABA-accredited law school and having applied for admission to practice law in at least one U.S. jurisdiction. Preferred: experience in law practice, in government relations work, as an employee within a state legislative or executive department, or as a judicial clerk, or extensive legal research and analysis experience.
Salary in the low to mid-60s. Excellent benefits package. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. The successful candidate should be prepared to begin a one-year appointment in September 2020. The ULC is an equal-opportunity employer.
To apply, please send application materials, including a cover letter, resume, writing sample, and the names and contact information of at least three references to apply@uniformlaws.org with “Fellow” in the subject line.