Post Graduate Fellowship Opportunities with Pine Tree Legal Assistance

Post Graduate Fellowship Opportunities with Pine Tree Legal Assistance

Are you interested in partnering with Pine Tree Legal Assistance (PTLA) to apply for a post-graduate public interest law fellowship? PTLA invites interested 3L law students, law school graduates, and judicial clerks to submit a letter of interest and other materials to PTLA as outlined below.

During the upcoming fellowship cycle, PTLA may sponsor one or two applicants for public interest legal fellowship programs, including but not limited to the Skadden Foundation and Equal Justice Works. Fellowship programs generally require applicants to develop a proposed project with a sponsoring legal services provider. PTLA will work with selected candidates to develop proposals, but partnering with PTLA does not guarantee that a fellowship proposal will be selected or funded. Selections for the fellowships are made by the fellowship programs and not by sponsors such as PTLA.

PTLA will consider candidates with interest in projects involving any geographic area we serve and any issues on which we work, but will, for the upcoming cycle, prefer applications involving one or more of the following priorities:

• Affirmative housing cases involving unsafe housing conditions, rent increases, security deposits, and/or other housing issues;


• Consumer rights and unfair trade practices related to access to utilities, solar power/electricity service, debt settlement companies, and debt collection;


• Social Security Disability denials, terminations, and appeals;


• Rural homeownership issues (especially in Aroostook Co. and Downeast);


• Child protective related issues for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault;


• Access to housing, benefits, health insurance, and other necessities for people with substance use disorder.

Qualifications

• Excellent oral and written communication skills


• Demonstrated interest in access to justice and civil legal services


• Strong academic record


• Self-directed and motivated


• Admitted to the practice of law in Maine, eligible to be become admitted to the Maine bar, or eligible to practice law in Maine pursuant to Maine Bar Admission Rule 11C as of the start of the fellowship term.

To Apply

• Submit a cover letter, resume, transcript, and two professional references through the Post Graduate Fellowships posting at Careers at PTLA | Pine Tree Legal Assistance.


• In your cover letter, please include your areas of interest for project development, your experience with relevant area(s) of law or client communities, which fellowship(s) you would like to apply for, which PTLA location(s) you would consider, and any project idea(s) you have (though it is not necessary to have a project idea to be considered).


• Applications will be considered on a rolling basis through July 31, 2026.

About PTLA

Pine Tree Legal Assistance is a statewide, non-profit organization committed to providing high quality civil legal services to people in Maine. Pine Tree advocates to help Maine’s most vulnerable residents overcome pressing problems of everyday life – domestic and sexual violence, homelessness, economic insecurity, financial exploitation, and more. Pine Tree has had an immense impact in Maine: the abolition of debtors’ prison, the right to due process and a fair hearing in state welfare proceedings, the first successful employment discrimination lawsuits, improved housing codes and accessibility for people with disabilities, and nationally acclaimed foreclosure prevention work are all legacies of Pine Tree’s commitment to fairness and justice for all.

Please note that PTLA may decide to sponsor more than one individual for each fellowship opportunity and that fellowship awards are not guarantees of employment with PTLA once the fellowship expires.

PTLA is also interested in candidates for other fellowship opportunities in addition to the Skadden Foundation and Equal Justice Works fellowships. If you are interested in applying for a different fellowship with PTLA as the host organization, please follow the steps above and indicate the additional fellowship(s) for which you would like to be considered. 

Pine Tree Legal Assistance is an Equal Opportunity Employer.  We are committed to employing and supporting individuals who are passionate about social justice and have relevant work experience, regardless of their race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, physical or mental disability, religion, familial status or experience with poverty, receipt of public assistance, or homelessness.