Jane Kahn Legal Fellow

Jane Kahn Research and Writing Legal Fellow

Experience: 0-3 years

Compensation: $107,426-$134,055* plus benefits

* The salary for this position is based upon a non-negotiable salary scale for attorneys at PLO.

Start Date: January to September 2027 

Duration: One year

Location: Remote from Arizona, California, or New York (in-office attendance in PLO’s Berkeley, California office is welcome, but not required for this position)

Application Due: August 12, 2026 by 11:59 PM PT

What We Do: Prison Law Office is a nonprofit public interest law firm that strives to reduce incarceration and demands fair and humane treatment for people who remain in prisons, jails, immigration detention facilities, and juvenile facilities and who are on parole. With a small staff of attorneys, investigators, litigation assistants, and support personnel, Prison Law Office engages in class action and other impact litigation, advocates for policy and law changes, assists individuals in administrative actions and lawsuits, educates the public, creates and distributes self-help information, and lends technical assistance to other attorneys.

The Role: The Prison Law Office Jane Kahn Writing and Research Legal Fellowship is a one-year position for attorneys with a commitment to civil rights and criminal justice reform, and offers the Fellow the opportunity to obtain unparalleled training and experience in research and writing and other aspects of public interest legal practice. The fellowship is named in honor of Jane Kahn, a pioneering, creative, and compassionate attorney who fought for decades to advance the rights and dignity of people behind bars. This is a research and writing fellowship. On occasion, the Fellow may tour prisons, jails, and/or juvenile facilities and interview incarcerated people and correctional staff to monitor compliance with class action settlement agreements. The Fellow’s principal role will consist of research and writing.

The ideal candidate will have:

• Ability to satisfy one of the following licensing requirements:
  
  
  
  • Admission to the California Bar, 
  
  
  • Plans to sit for the next California Bar Exam,
  
  
  • Eligibility to participate in California’s Multijurisdictional Practice (MJP) Program, or  
  
  
  • Eligibility to practice law while residing in Arizona, California, or New York despite admission to the bar of another jurisdiction.
  
  
  
  


• Experience or interest in correctional and criminal legal system matters.


• Excellent analytical, legal research, and writing skills.


• Strong oral advocacy skills.


• Excellent communication skills.


• Demonstrated ability to problem-solve, exercise sound judgment, take initiative, and work independently.


• Ability to interact cooperatively, professionally, and effectively with co-workers.
  

Benefits:

• Generous health insurance 


• Dental care stipend


• Annual wellness bonus


• Life insurance


• Short- and long-term disability insurance


• 403(b) retirement accounts with employer matching at 5% of annual earnings


• Repayment of qualifying federal educational loans up to $1,300/month


• Paid time off


• All federal and state holidays off


• Office closure the last week of the year
  

Prison Law Office is committed to creating an equitable, diverse, and inclusive organization and community.  We can only maintain excellence by recruiting and retaining a diverse staff that includes all races, ages, backgrounds, citizenships, national origins, disabilities, gender identities, languages, military experiences, sexual orientations, religions, socioeconomic status, work experiences and historically excluded communities.

To be considered for the position, please submit the following materials, via BambooHR, by August 12, 2026 at 11:59 PM PT:

• Cover letter


• Resume


• Legal writing sample (confidential information may be redacted)


• List of three references