The Justice Gary S. Stein Public Interest Center at Pashman Stein Walder Hayden P.C. Now Accepting Applications for its Inaugural Fall 2023 Stein Public Interest Fellowship
The Justice Gary S. Stein Public Interest Center at Pashman Stein Walder Hayden P.C. is pleased to announce the launch of the Stein Public Interest Fellowship program which is now accepting applications for an inaugural term in Fall 2023. The Justice Gary S. Stein Public Interest Center Fellowship offers attorneys a unique opportunity to work on public interest impact litigation and appellate advocacy within a law firm setting.
The Fellow will work closely alongside the Center’s Director CJ Griffin to promote and supervise the pro bono work of Pashman Stein Walder Hayden. Griffin stated, “We are very excited to announce the inaugural term of the Stein Public Interest Fellowship, with a start date in Fall 2023. The fellowship is intended for attorneys less than five years out of law school, and preference will be given to applicants who have at least one year of litigation experience, in addition to having completed judicial clerkships or public-interest fellowships. Candidates should have excellent research and writing skills, a strong passion for impact litigation and appellate advocacy, and a demonstrated interest in and deep commitment to social, racial, and economic justice.”
Managing Partner of Pashman Stein Walder Hayden, Michael S. Stein, said, “The establishment of the Center in 2019 reflects the long-standing commitment of Pashman Stein Walder Hayden to lean in and to leave an imprint on the most important public interest issues of our time. As we continue to grow, we are pleased to introduce the Stein Public Interest Center Fellowship. Throughout our firm’s history, attorneys at Pashman Stein Walder Hayden have participated in New Jersey’s most significant public interest lawsuits and landmark appellate court cases, remaining at the forefront of issues such as government transparency, free speech, voting rights, and the integration of the state’s public schools. The Fellowship offers an opportunity for a lawyer to join our team and contribute to the important work happening at the Center.”
Griffin added, “The Fellow will participate as a full member of the legal team with significant responsibility, including drafting complaints and other pleadings, writing amicus curiae briefs, and arguing before New Jersey state and federal trial and appellate courts. A substantial portion of the Fellow’s legal docket will be devoted to pro bono amicus curiae work on criminal justice cases pending in the New Jersey Supreme Court, as well as fee-shifting work relating to police transparency, open government, and civil rights.”
The Fellow will also have input into the work that the Center chooses to undertake, as well as the Center’s future vision. In that regard, the Fellow will help expand the Center’s amicus curiae work to other jurisdictions and to issue research publications based on topics relating to police transparency and accountability. By participating in a variety of coalitions, the Fellow will have the opportunity to develop working relationships with public interest lawyers, advocates, and organizations.
The Fellow will commit to a full-time, two-year term with the opportunity to apply for an associate position at Pashman Stein Walder Hayden at the end of the term.
New Jersey bar membership is required, as the Fellow will frequently appear in state courts.
The Stein Public Interest Center is committed to recruiting, promoting, and retaining a diverse workplace and to increasing the diversity of the bar that appears before the New Jersey Supreme Court. The Center views diversity as an inclusive concept that encompasses, without limitation, race, color, ethnicity, gender, nationality, religion, age, disability, gender identity and sexual orientation, and strongly encourages candidates from underrepresented backgrounds and impacted communities to apply.
Interested applicants are asked to please send a cover letter, resume, law school transcript, list of three references, and a writing sample to CJ Griffin, Director of The Justice Gary S. Stein Public Interest Center, at cgriffin@pashmanstein.com with a copy to Jennifer Lifschitz, Director of Legal Recruiting at Pashman Stein Walder Hayden P.C., at jlifschitz@pashmanstein.com. The cover letter should provide an explanation as to why the applicant is interested in the Stein Public Interest Fellowship. The deadline to apply is March 1, 2023, but applications will be reviewed, and candidates will be interviewed on a rolling basis with a goal of hiring a fellow by April 1, 2023. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis.
About The Justice Gary S. Stein Public Interest Center
Established in 2019, the Stein Public Interest Center is dedicated to a broad range of public interest impact litigation and appellate advocacy that advances social, racial, and economic justice, protects civil liberties and constitutional rights, and promotes an open and transparent government.
The Center is named after retired New Jersey Supreme Court Justice Gary S. Stein in recognition of his distinguished career of dedicated public service and contributions to the legal profession. During his remarkable 17-year tenure on the Court, Justice Stein helped shape the law for generations to come. In honor of his legacy, the Center is dedicated to advocating for the rights and liberties of all individuals.
Under the leadership of Director CJ Griffin, the Center partners with local, regional, and national organizations to promote and advance justice. Since the Center’s launch in 2019, Pashman Stein Walder Hayden attorneys have participated in more than 50 cases that have resulted in published opinions by the New Jersey Appellate Division and New Jersey Supreme Court. These cases involved public access to police internal affairs reports, violations of Miranda warnings, the rights of medical cannabis users to receive workplace accommodations and to have their medication covered by workers’ compensation programs, the standards to obtain a sexual assault protection order, and racial discrimination in the jury selection process. More information about the Center’s work can be found at www.steinpublicinterestcenter.com.
Pashman Stein Walder Hayden received the 2020 Pro Bono Law Firm Award from the New Jersey State Bar Association. The firm has also received the New Jersey Law Journal’s Appellate Department of the Year award for five years in a row, in part because of the significant public interest appellate work performed through the Center.
Pashman Stein Walder Hayden is a multi-specialty law firm with a reputation for professional excellence. Headquartered in Hackensack, New Jersey, the firm maintains offices throughout the region, including Monmouth County, New Jersey; New York City, New York; Westchester County, New York; and Wilmington, Delaware. The firm serves a diverse client base including Fortune 500 companies, emerging growth entities and entrepreneurial businesses, professional athletes, celebrity influencers, fashion models, law firms, judges, lawyers, governmental entities, non-profit organizations, and individuals. Recent honors include being named Law Firm of the Year-Finalist (2021) and, for the fifth year in a row, awarded Appellate Litigation Department of the Year (2022), by the New Jersey Law Journal; and named 2020 Pro Bono Law firm by the New Jersey State Bar Association. For more information, please visit www.pashmanstein.com.