SUMMARY: Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (NWIRP) invites rising third-year law students, recent law graduates, and judicial clerks to apply for a sponsorship opportunity to work with us as a Legal Fellow to begin in Fall 2027. Under the mentorship of our experienced staff, the fellow will focus on a dedicated legal project to further NWIRP’s mission of promoting justice by defending and advancing immigrant rights through direct legal services, systemic advocacy, and community education. NWIRP seeks to serve as a host organization for applicants for one- or two-year public interest fellowships funded by outside organizations such as Equal Justice Works, Justice Catalyst, the Skadden Foundation, and law school programs. NWIRP is proud to support aspiring immigrant rights attorneys who can help us fight for justice for the immigrant communities in Washington State and across the country. NWIRP is interested in developing projects that increase legal access for the most underrepresented communities, such as youth, rural, and detained populations. NWIRP hopes to sponsor two fellowship candidates and will work with each candidate to finalize the project proposal. ABOUT NORTHWEST IMMIGRANT RIGHTS PROJECT: Founded in 1984, Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (NWIRP) is a nationally recognized legal services organization on the front lines of defending and advancing the rights of immigrants. With over 200 employees, NWIRP provides direct legal representation and assistance in immigration matters to thousands of people with low incomes who come from over 150 countries and speak over 60 different languages. NWIRP challenges unjust policies through high-impact lawsuits and advocates for laws and policies that respect the rights of immigrants. NWIRP is also a trusted provider of immigration-related community education for immigrant communities and social service providers. NWIRP serves the community through four offices in Washington State (Granger, Seattle, Tacoma, and Wenatchee), but the impact of our work is felt nationwide. Northwest Immigrant Rights Project is an equal opportunity employer committed to having a diverse staff, board, and volunteer base reflective of the communities we serve and that enhances our ability to create a vibrant environment where all members of the NWIRP community thrive. NWIRP is committed to providing a work environment free from discrimination and harassment. NWIRP does not discriminate on the basis of class, race, color, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, political ideology, age, creed, religion, ancestry, national origin, or the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability. Excepting any undue hardship, NWIRP will provide reasonable accommodations upon request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process. Please contact HR@nwirp.org. COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS: As of 2026, the beginning annual salary for attorneys with no experience is $84,508.11 and rises to $87,362.92 upon bar admission. The maximum annual salary for experienced attorneys is currently $155,214.80. NWIRP is proud to be a unionized employer. Although NWIRP’s Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) does not cover these fellowships, the fellow would be eligible for many of the benefits we usually extend to our union staff, including the following employee benefit provisions. ● Fully paid health, vision, and dental plans for employee-level coverage with employer-funded HRA and HSA options; ● FSA and Dependent Care accounts; ● Automatic, employer contribution of 3% to 403(b) retirement plan; ● Generous paid health-related leave (12 days per year); ● Generous paid vacation (16 days during your first year); ● 14 paid holidays with the ability to float 5 holidays; ● Employer-paid disability, life, AD&D and long-term care insurance; ● Opportunities for paid professional development; and ● Subsidized transit passes for the Seattle and Tacoma offices or free onsite parking for the Granger, Tacoma, and Wenatchee offices. If the fellow were to apply to and be offered a permanent union position after the fellowship ends, they would retain the start of their fellowship as a “seniority” date for calculation of possible salary step increases and sabbatical eligibility. TO APPLY: By July 8, 2026, please submit a cover letter and resume here. In your cover letter, please tell us why you are interested in working on a project with NWIRP as the host organization and indicate any project ideas you may have. While you are welcome to bring any project ideas, full project proposals are not required at this stage. We will work with the selected candidates to develop a project proposal based on organizational and community needs. NWIRP will also host a Legal Fellowship Info Session on Wednesday, July 1st, at 12:00 PM Pacific. We will provide an overview of post-graduate public interest fellowship programs and fellowship opportunities at NWIRP. Recent (EJW and IJC) fellows at NWIRP will also share their experiences and tips/advice for fellowship applications. Please register here. The session will be recorded, and all registrants will receive a link to the recording for on-demand viewing even after the live event. Contact: legalfellowships@nwirp.org