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Help Us Keep The Movement Growing!

>> Support our James Murphy Clerkship Fund today! <<

CLDC Murphy Fellowship

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CIVIL LIBERTIES DEFENSE CENTER
1711 Willamette St. Suite 301 #359 Eugene, OR 97401
(541) 687-9180 • info@cldc.org • cldc.org

The James Murphy Hoopes Attorney Fellowship

Job Announcement: Murphy Attorney Fellow

Full-time salary with benefits – exempt position
Any state bar license required; 0-3 years of experience
Position in the Eugene, Oregon, office (remote may be considered)
Applications accepted until position is filled; early submissions preferred
Fellowship term is January 15, 2027, to January 14, 2029

A Life Dedicated to Justice

The Murphy fellowship at the Civil Liberties Defense Center is a new and exciting two-year program for the next generation of movement lawyers who are up to three years out of law school and who have a bar license.

Murphy Hoopes dedicated his life to liberatory movements. A former CLDC law clerk, activist, organizer, and filmmaker who passed away on January 18, 2025, Murphy understood what the system obscures: that law can be used to either further oppression or as a weapon to fight against it.

This fellowship, created to honor Murphy, provides a two-year full-time attorney position, for a fellow to litigate for CLDC’s clients while building necessary tools to be part of the next generation of frontline movement lawyers.

Who We Are:

Civil Liberties Defense Center (CLDC) is a nonprofit organization that supports movements that seek to dismantle the political and economic structures at the root of social inequality and environmental destruction. We provide litigation, education, and legal and strategic resources to strengthen and embolden the success of those movements. Our motto is “We’ve got your back until all are free.” We have provided pro bono activist defense to at least 6,000 social, environmental, and climate justice activists, as well as providing free Rights & Risks trainings to more than 12,500 people. CLDC’s staff attorneys have extensive movement litigation experience, as well as experience with intersectional movement organizing work. Please see our website for more information about our work, cases, and the other movement legal support we provide.

Summary:

The inaugural Murphy fellow will have the opportunity to work full-time with CLDC on cutting-edge movement-aligned cases and projects. In response to the authoritarian attacks on political dissent, CLDC’s fellow will support frontline environmental and social justice activists and campaigns by working on state and federal criminal cases from around the country; civil rights cases; and more uncommon cases that fall within the SLAPP and “lawfare” context (defense against politicized lawsuits and legal attacks brought by far right or corporate entities and state and federal governments).

The fellow will gain federal litigation experience working with other lawyers on complex criminal defense, plaintiff civil rights cases, activist/organization grand jury witness representation, and quashing subpoenas and other SLAPP and lawfare-related cases.

In addition to gaining movement aligned legal experience on our cases and programs, fellows will have access to mentorship, leadership coaching, and trainings on media and advocacy, campaigning, nonprofits, and movement building.

Our ideal candidate will have a strong environmental and/or social justice background as well as good connections to active movement groups within the United States. The fellow will bring hard work, initiative, commitment, and passion for our work, our clients, and the progressive movements we support and defend. In addition, the Murphy fellow will contribute to our Dissent & Democracy program by developing and presenting our public education Rights and Risks trainings.

Murphy Fellow Responsibilities:

Maintain good standing in the state bar(s) you are licensed in, including fulfilling requirements for continuing legal education (CLE) and, where necessary, security clearance.
Work with staff attorneys on federal and state felony and misdemeanor criminal defense litigation – from client intake through post-trial motions, appeals, and political prisoner legal support.
Work with staff attorneys on federal civil rights litigation — from client intake, discovery, briefing, court appearances, and appeals.
Work with staff attorneys defending targets of federal SLAPP & lawfare cases — often with fast deadlines, novel legal issues, and aggressive opposing counsel.
Work with staff attorneys and communications staff in the development of media and advocacy strategies to support our clients and cases, as well as developing movement-aligned legal resources on cutting edge topics.
Willingness to work on cases pro hac vice (our cases are in state and federal courts around the country), and learn and apply new laws and court rules.
Work collaboratively with legal teams and defendant groups to foster movement lawyering, litigation strategy, and movement-building.
Provide CLDC Rights & Risks and other related movement trainings, workshops, and public presentations.
Engage in coalition and movement collaboration meetings as assigned.
Assist in individual and foundation relationships, including development and review of grant proposals, participation in donor meetings, fundraising and donor appreciation activities, and periodic out-of-state travel for development trips and activities.
Participate in trainings to strengthen your litigation and movement lawyering skills.
Participate in organizational planning and implementation.

Enthusiastically represent CLDC’s purpose and values externally and internally.

Other related work as requested by the Legal Directors.

Experience and Qualifications:

Admitted to practice law in good standing in at least one state at the time of application.
The fellowship is meant for new attorneys with up to three years of experience, ideally with law school graduation no earlier than 2024.
Demonstrated commitment to environmental and/or social justice movement(s), and to CLDC’s mission and goals.
Demonstrated ability to engage independently in complex legal research, writing and analysis, fact-finding, and client-led litigation work.
Demonstrated ability to work independently while coordinating with teams, coalitions, co-counsel, and other collaborative groups.
Excellent diverse people skills, and culturally appropriate, anti-racist, anti-oppression orientation.
Experience with security culture and digital security.
Must be available and able to travel several days per year via airplane and/or car, including overnights, throughout the continental U.S.
Must be available for some evening and weekend work activities.
Physical capabilities: Able to work at a computer consistently for at least eight hours a day (with appropriate breaks), 40 hours per week. Ability to manage luggage, computers, resources for audiences.
While not required, preference for fluency in a second language relevant to our work; differential pay offered.
Preference to applicants willing to relocate to Eugene, Oregon.

Location:

CLDC staff work onsite at our Eugene, Oregon, office; some are working remotely. We strongly encourage the attorney fellow to work in the Eugene office during their two-year fellowship to the extent possible.
If remote, all staff must travel to the Eugene office on a quarterly basis.

Pay and Benefits:

We offer a mission- and employee-focused work environment and competitive public interest compensation.

This position is full-time, 40 hours per week, exempt with a two-year commitment required.
Salary range $80,000-90,000, commensurate with experience.
Flexible work schedule (when not under litigation deadlines).
State Bar dues and malpractice insurance paid while at CLDC.
Some professional dues paid by CLDC.
Generous paid time off and holidays and summer half-day Fridays.
Excellent comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance.
CLEs and tech/security budget.
401k plan with matching contributions.
As a nonprofit, CLDC employment qualifies for federal loan forgiveness.
We are invested in your growth. We provide a range of opportunities for all team members to grow and evolve, including a staff political education series, individual professional development budget, and leadership training and coaching.

We are invested in your wellbeing. While we are result-driven and high-performing, we are also committed to having a humanistic workplace that is people-centered, respects difference, and is positive and affirming.

How to Apply:

Interested candidates should submit:

Resumé.
Essay (see below).
2 writing samples, ideally a relevant brief and/or pleading and a sample demonstrating your ability to communicate clearly to environmental and social justice partners and allies (white paper, KYRR resource, or client letter). At the top of your writing sample, provide a 2-sentence description of the writing sample.
3 professional references, including email and phone numbers, at least one of which is an environmental/social justice movement reference.
Applications will be considered on a rolling basis, and strong consideration will be given to early applications. For this inaugural fellowship, only one position is available due to currently available funding.

Please send all materials in a single PDF to INFO[at]cldc.org – Subject: “[Your last name]— Murphy Fellow Attorney”

Due to the high volume of applicants, we will only contact those candidates who are selected for an interview. Please, no phone calls, hard copies, or drop-ins. If you’re having technical difficulties submitting your application or questions, please reach out to office[at]cldc.org.

APPLICATION TIMELINE:

The deadline for submission is November 6, 2026.
Interviews for selected candidates will occur on a rolling basis, and will end December 4, 2026.
We expect to make fellowship offers in December 2026.
Position will begin January 15, 2027.

ESSAY REQUIREMENTS:

Maximum length: 1,000 words, double-spaced. Essays should incorporate the following information:

What unique background, beliefs, values and/or experiences (personal and professional) shaped your decision to go to law school and your interests in participating in the Murphy Fellowship program at the Civil Liberties Defense Center?
Please describe your specific interest in CLDC’s work, including any areas of focus you would like to work on.
How do you expect participation in the Murphy Fellowship to contribute to your long-term personal and professional goals?
What is your understanding of CLDC’s goals and needs, and how do you see yourself contributing to our effectiveness? Describe how your education, experience, and skills match our needs and goals.

Our core values lead us to seek a broad range of perspectives and backgrounds to achieve our mission and to maintain an inclusive environment where all staff are valued and respected. As an equal opportunity affirmative action employer, we are committed to employment practices that ensure that employees and applicants for employment are provided with equal opportunities without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, age, religion, physical or mental disability, medical condition, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, or any other factor that is not related to the position. We will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records for employment.

Our Mission

Civil Liberties Defense Center supports movements that seek to dismantle the political and economic structures at the root of social inequality and environmental destruction

Contact

Civil Liberties Defense Center
1711 Willamette St. Ste 301
#359 Eugene, OR 97401-4593

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