Pennsylvania Institutional Law Project

Seeking to Sponsor Applicants for Post-Graduate Legal Fellowships

The Pennsylvania Institutional Law Project (PILP) seeks to sponsor applicants for project-based postgraduate legal fellowships to start in the Fall of 2026. Applicants should be law students graduating in the Spring of 2026, current law clerks, or other recent law school graduates.

PILP will select an applicant to sponsor, and then together the applicant and PILP will propose a project idea to fellowship funders. PILP does not provide fellowship funding. The purpose of this job posting is to help PILP select a candidate to support in the fellowship funding process.

Applicants are welcome and encouraged to propose their own project ideas, but applying to PILP with a project proposal is not required.

PILP protects and advances the constitutional and civil rights of people incarcerated and detained in Pennsylvania through litigation, advocacy, and legal assistance. PILP is a legal aid organization that provides free civil legal services to over 100,000 people housed in jails, prisons, immigration detention centers, halfway houses, juvenile detention facilities, and state hospitals.

Our organization is committed to ensuring that incarcerated and detained people are treated humanely, have access to medical and mental health care, are safe from violence and sexual abuse, receive accommodations for their disabilities, have the ability to observe their religion, and more.

PILP’s litigation is primarily in the federal courts.

PILP is based out of three offices located in Philadelphia, Lewisburg, and Pittsburgh. This position is for the Pittsburgh office. PILP staff work on a hybrid schedule. It is expected that the legal fellow will be physically present in the Pittsburgh office at least 3 days a week.

Responsibilities:

  • Litigate statutory and constitutional civil rights claims on behalf of incarcerated people, primarily in federal court.

  • Conduct visits to prisons and other institutions to meet with clients and monitor ongoing conditions of confinement.

  • Work closely with PILP’s attorneys, paralegals, and clients to investigate and developpotential cases.

  • Provide legal advice and pro se assistance to incarcerated people through letter intake and legal calls/video visits.

  • Collaborate with staff in all three offices on advocacy and legal strategy.

  • Develop relationships with community partners.

  • Be engaged with the legal and local community on issues pertaining to incarceration and other related legal issues.Qualifications:

  • Excellent research, analytic, legal writing, oral advocacy, and communication skills.

  • Strong work ethic, initiative, sound judgment, and creativity.

  • Federal litigation experience (including as a judicial law clerk), especially on the legal rights of the incarcerated, civil rights, or constitutional law, is a plus.

  • Prior experience working on racial justice issues is a plus.

  • Willingness to travel and work outside of normal business hours.

  • Proficiency with technology, including Microsoft Office Suite (i.e., Word, Excel, Sharepoint).

  • Commitment to public interest work and the role of PILP in safeguarding the rights of incarcerated and institutionalized people.

  • Awareness and sensitivity to the needs and concerns of individuals from diverse backgrounds, abilities, cultures, and orientations due to PILP’s diverse client base.

  • Bilingual capabilities, especially Spanish, are a plus.

  • Anticipated admission to the Pennsylvania Bar, or admission to another state bar and willingness to apply for admission to the Pennsylvania bar.

Opening/Closing Date: Preferred application deadline is July 31, 2025, but PILP will be interviewing and selecting candidates on a rolling basis.

To Apply:

Please send a cover letter, resume, legal writing sample, references, and law school transcript to the email: jobs@pilp.org, with the subject line “PILP JOBS: Fellowship Sponsorship.”

The Pennsylvania Institutional Law Project (PILP) is an equal opportunity employer. PILP does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, sexual or gender identity, age, national origin, disability, medical condition, or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

PILP values a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture and welcomes applicants of all backgrounds to apply. PILP invites applicants to include in their cover letter a statement about how their unique background and/or experiences (professional as well as relevant lived experiences) would motivate them to work toward PILP’s mission, and would contribute to the vitality and perspective of our organization.