Details
Posted: 09-Jul-25
Location: Ithaca, New York
Type: Full-time
Local Government Project Attorney - 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 90 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.
Reporting to the Director of the First Amendment Clinic at Cornell Law School, Mark Jackson, and Associate Director, Heather Murray, the Local Government Project (LPG) Attorney will have primary responsibility for developing and managing a pilot project that seeks to enhance the First Amendment and open government rights of citizens and officials as they seek to participate in the activities of their local school boards in New York State. The goal of the project is to assess, through the lens of the First Amendment, the policies and practices of school boards across the state, to identify policies and practices that fall below best practices, and to work towards meaningful change that promotes freedom of expression and the public's right to know. The intent of the project is to work collaboratively with state and local school board officials, where possible, to improve the policies and practices of school boards to ensure that the First Amendment rights of citizens and officials are protected and that the functioning of democracy on the local level is enhanced.
The LGP Attorney will work primarily with student research assistants to complete the project. While the attorney will have a working and collaborative relationship with the staff attorneys and students at the Cornell Law School First Amendment Clinic, they will have no formal teaching responsibilities. When appropriate, the LGP Attorney will refer matters to the Clinic that might require litigation and will share their work with Clinic students to enhance their educational experience. It is expected that the LGP Attorney will coordinate their work with faculty and students at Cornell's Brooks School of Public Policy.
This position is ideal for a candidate who is eager to leverage their prior background either as a policy counsel, a commercial lawyer, litigator or in-house counsel to advance First Amendment values at the local level. It calls for someone entrepreneurial, data driven and interested in public policy, who is able to deploy those tools to enhance the functioning of school boards, and democracy, across the state.
The successful candidate will be based in Ithaca, NY and is expected to work on-site. This full-time position is for a one-year term, and is benefits eligible. Employment through the intended term, as well as possible reappointment, is contingent on successful performance and continued funding.
This position is generously funded by the Henry Luce Foundation.
- Create a protocol and process for developing a database of school board policies and practices.
- Network with citizens, activists and officials throughout New York State to gain insight into issues of concern, particularly with respect to the exercise of First Amendment rights within the school board context.
- Work collaboratively with school boards, local officials and citizens to improve policies and practices that conflict with First Amendment principles.
- Oversee and manage a team of research assistants to accomplish the project tasks.
- Prepare a report at the end of the term describing the findings of the project and recommendations for future actions to enhance First Amendment freedoms within the school board context and to potentially expand the scope of the project to cover other local governmental bodies.
- Travel as required for networking, collaborations, conferences and speaking engagements.
The LGP Attorney must have a J.D. or equivalent law degree, be admitted to the New York bar, and have a minimum of three years of relevant experience as a lawyer. Applicants should have excellent communication skills, both oral and written; excellent analytical skills; and the temperament to develop and work effectively with a network of citizens, local officials, university colleagues and advocacy organizations. Applicants should also have the skills necessary to supervise and mentor student research assistants and work collaboratively in a team-based environment. The applicant must also be a "self-starter" and have the ability to operate on their own, with little supervision.
Preference will be given to candidates who have experience in First Amendment law, public policy, and data-driven research.
To ensure maximum consideration, please submit all application materials by September 15, 2025. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, with priority given to early applicants.
The anticipated starting salary for this position is $115,000-$125,000.
Pay Range:
Refer to Posting Language
Pay Ranges:
The hiring rate of pay for the successful candidate will be determined considering the following criteria:
Prior relevant work or industry experience.
Education level to the extent education is relevant to the position.
Academic Discipline
Unique applicable skills.
Employment Assistance:
Notice to Applicants:
EEO Statement:
Cornell welcomes students, faculty, and staff with diverse backgrounds from across the globe to pursue world-class education and career opportunities, to further the founding principle of "... any person ... any study." No person shall be denied employment on the basis of any legally protected status or subjected to prohibited discrimination involving, but not limited to, such factors as race, ethnic or national origin, citizenship and immigration status, color, sex, pregnancy or pregnancy-related conditions, age, creed, religion, actual or perceived disability (including persons associated with such a person), arrest and/or conviction record, military or veteran status, sexual orientation, gender expression and/or identity, an individual's genetic information, domestic violence victim status, familial status, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.
Cornell University embraces diversity in its workforce and seeks job candidates who will contribute to a climate that supports students, faculty, and staff of all identities and backgrounds. We hire based on merit, and encourage people from historically underrepresented and/or marginalized identities to apply. Consistent with federal law, Cornell engages in affirmative action in employment for qualified protected veterans as defined in the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRRA) and qualified individuals with disabilities under Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act. We also recognize a lawful preference in employment practices for Native Americans living on or near Indian reservations in accordance with applicable law.
2025-07-07
