"Program Assistant, First Amendment Clinic"

About Cornell Law School

Founded in 1887, Cornell Law School is a top-tier law school. We offer a 3-year JD program for about 200 students per class, a one-year LLM program for about 120 students from countries throughout the world, and a doctoral (JSD) program for about 2-3 new students per year. Cornell Law School has 41 tenured and tenure-track faculty, including 20 with chaired faculty positions; and 15 clinical professors in the legal research and writing program and in clinics at the local, national, and international level. Our faculty is consistently ranked among the top in the country for scholarly productivity and influence, and has pre-eminence in many areas, including quantitative and qualitative empirical legal studies, international and comparative law, and robust doctrinal scholarship in core fields. Our school is committed to being recognized as the leader among law schools at combining inspiring theoretical, doctrinal, and experiential teaching with cutting-edge scholarship in a supportive, intellectually rich community, so that our graduates can achieve excellence in all facets of the legal profession.

The Opportunity

Cornell Law School is seeking a Program Assistant to support the important work of its First Amendment Clinic (FA Clinic), which trains students while defending free expression and press freedoms nationwide. The Clinic performs its work on behalf of community news outlets and journalists as part of its groundbreaking Local Journalism Project.

In this role, you'll be an external-facing ambassador for the clinic's work. You'll coordinate outreach to clients, potential clients and alumni, lead communications and publicity, and support fundraising and grant reporting. Key responsibilities include organizing client trainings and seminars, drafting press releases and marketing content, updating the Clinic's website, and tracking grant deliverables. You'll also provide general administrative support to the Clinic's robust litigation docket.

We're looking for a proactive, self-starter who is a detail-oriented professional with strong communication and organizational skills. Experience in outreach, communications, journalism, legal, or nonprofit/public interest work is a plus. Most of all, we value enthusiasm for the Clinic's critical mission and the ability to work collaboratively with a diverse community of students, faculty, clients, and alumni.

If you are an outgoing self-starter who is interested in playing a role in protecting and defending free speech and a vibrant press, we encourage you to apply with your resume and cover letter. Join us and help advance meaningful work at the intersection of law and democracy.

This gift funded position is for a two-year term. Employment through the intended term, as well as potential reappointment will be based on performance and funding availability.

The position will be based in New York City. The successful candidate will be expected to work at the FA Clinic carrel located at Cornell Tech (Roosevelt Island) two days a week.

What We Need

• A resume and cover letter for full consideration
• Associate's degree and 2-4 years of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, along with organizational, planning, time management, and interpersonal skills
• Ability to work successfully under pressure in a fast-paced, team-oriented setting, handling multiple tasks with differing deadlines, and to prioritize work on projects happening simultaneously
• Must be a self-starter, able to handle high volumes of work during peak periods
• Resolve problems using sound judgment
• Ability to cultivate and develop inclusive working relationships with students, faculty, staff, and community members
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite, Westlaw, Lexis or other legal research databases, presentation, and electronic communications
• Comfort using technology, including social media, and willingness to learn new programs

If you have all those things, great! We have a few more things that we would prefer you to have, but it's ok if you don't.

• Bachelor's degree
• Demonstrated interest in furthering free speech principles and supporting local journalism
• Spanish language proficiency
• Working knowledge of WordPress and Box
• Prior experience in communications or as a paralegal
• Experience with Cornell procurement and accounting systems

Rewards and Benefits

• Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.
• Relocation assistance is not available for this position.

University Job Title: Administrative Asst IV
Job Family: Administration
Level: D
Pay Rate Type: Hourly
Pay Range: $28.47 - $38.48
Remote Option Availability: Hybrid