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VLA Legal Fellowships

Legal Fellowships at VLA are available to recent law school graduates and deferred associates who can secure independent fellowship funding. VLA’s Legal Fellows interact daily with clients and gain hands-on experience analyzing, interpreting, and counseling members of New York’s arts community on legal issues pertaining to various areas of law, including intellectual property, contract, and non-profit and for-profit corporate matters.

Legal Fellows are most commonly full-time positions, but we are also able to accommodate part-time candidates available to work at least 20 hours per week at VLA’s office at 729 7th Avenue. Most Fellowships’ start dates coincide with the Fall academic semester, but some positions may be available on a rolling basis. Note that these are unpaid positions. Only those who have secured (or will secure) independent funding may apply. Please specify the source of your funding in your application.

Legal Fellows duties include:

  • Reviewing intake files relating to arts-related legal matters, and preparing memoranda that identify key legal and factual issues
  • Participating in client consultations and administering client case files in preparation for referral to pro bono counsel. Legal fellows admitted to the New York State Bar may have the opportunity to lead consultations.
  • Assisting in coordinating off-site legal services programming for VLA artists.
  • Conducting legal research, writing, and case management in support of ongoing intellectual property, contract, corporate, and dispute resolution matters.
  • Training and supervising VLA law student interns in their daily tasks.
  • Assisting with VLA’s education and development programming by creating presentation materials, and teaching classes on legal issues that affect artists and arts organizations.

Legal Fellows essential skills:

  • Demonstrated interest in the arts and public service
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills
  • Ability to work well with a team in a fast-paced environment
  • Multitasker with attention to detail
  • Strong legal research and writing skills
  • Prior course work and experience in intellectual property and/or the arts strongly preferred

To apply, please email a cover letter and resume to the attention of Emma Frean at efrean@vlany.org. Please include “Legal Fellowship” in the subject line. In your application, please be sure to provide your source of fellowship funding, any terms associated with that funding, and the approximate dates that you will be available to work.

Equal Employment Opportunity

VLA is committed to enhancing our diverse workforce and actively encourages applicants from all cultures, races, educational backgrounds, socio-economic classes, sexual orientations, age, gender, gender identity and physical abilities to apply. We do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, familial status, marital status, caregiver status, or any other category protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. We take pride in our pluralistic community and continue to seek excellence through diversity and inclusion. EO/AA Employer.

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