The Institute for Public Representation invites applications for a two-year staff attorney position in public interest communications law to start in August 2005.

What is the Institute for Public Representation?

The Institute for Public Representation (IPR) is a public interest law firm and law school clinic that was founded by Georgetown University Law Center in 1971. IPR serves as counsel for groups and individuals who are unable to obtain effective legal representation on matters that have a significant impact on issues of broad public importance. IPR also provides an opportunity for second and third year law students to develop a wide range of lawyering skills by working on real cases under the supervision of IPR's three faculty members and five staff attorneys.  

IPR's work is currently focused in three areas: communications law and policy, civil rights/general public interest law and environmental law.  IPR has two staff attorney positions, including one in the communications practice, available for the 2003-2005 term.

What does IPR's Citizens Communications Center Project Do?

The goal of IPR's Citizens Communications Center Project is to promote a diversity of viewpoints and sources of information and to ensure that   communications services are accessible and responsive to the needs of all segments of the community. The Citizens Communications Project works toward these goals through its representation of consumer, civil rights and other non-profit organizations before the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), other federal administrative agencies and the federal courts. Projects involve radio, television broadcasting, cable television, telephone, the Internet or other communications technologies. Because communications law is an exciting and dynamic field, the nature of the practice changes over time, while remaining true to its original public interest goals of diversity, access and responsiveness to community needs. Here are some recent examples of projects.

Diversity : IPR's Citizens Communications Center Project has sought to promote media diversity in numerous ways  We recently filed an appeal challenging the FCC = s decision to significantly relax the rules limiting broadcast station ownership.   In addition to the appeal in the court, we have filed petitions with the FCC asking it to reconsider its decision. We support ownership rules to foster diversity of ownership which promotes the public's First Amendment interests in having access to diverse views and programming.

Access : Similarly, the Citizens Communications Center Project has sought to ensure access to media and other communications services for all people. For example, we work with organizations representing homeless persons, migrant workers and low-income people to ensure access to basic telephone services. We have promoted equal employment opportunities at broadcast stations and cable companies by commenting on proposed rules at the FCC and defending the FCC's rules against a constitutional challenge in the Court of Appeals.

Responsiveness to Community Needs : We have been working with religious, consumer, minority and other non-profit groups to develop guidelines for digital television stations on how they can meet their public interest responsibilities to the communities they serve. We have also worked to ensure that television stations serve the special needs of children by providing educational programming and avoiding deception or unfair marketing practices.

  IPR's work on the communications policy issues results from its merger in January 1981 with the Citizens Communications Center.  For the past fifteen years, the Project has been directed by Professor Angela J. Campbell. Prior to joining IPR, Professor Campbell worked for the Antitrust Division of the US Department of Justice and a law firm specializing in communications practice.

More information about IPR's Citizens Communications Center Project is available at www.law.georgetown.edu/clinics/ipr/index.html.

What do the Staff Attorneys do?

The communications staff attorneys work closely with Professor Campbell to select appropriate projects and to supervise the students working on those projects. Second and third year law students take the clinic on a full-time basis for one semester.   The staff attorneys work with the students on improving their lawyering skills, especially legal writing. Much of the staff attorneys' time is spent guiding students in conducting legal and factual research, reviewing student drafts, making suggestions for improvement, and preparing the students for oral presentations.  The staff attorneys have opportunities to engage in oral and written advocacy on their projects and will have significant client contact. They also take an active role in planning and teaching the classroom components of the clinic.

The staff attorney position offers valuable experience for both recent law school graduates and those with clerkship or other work experience. First, staff attorneys get the opportunity to work on some very interesting, complex and cutting-edge communications law cases.  Because all of our projects are done on a pro bono basis, we have leeway to choose projects that are important, interesting and present educational opportunities. The projects often involve First Amendment or other constitutional issues.  

Second, staff attorneys assume a great deal of responsibility at an early stage of their careers and generally play a more important role in the decision making process than do their contemporaries in other types of law practice. They work on a variety of different types of cases (rulemakings, appeals, complaints, etc) and learn how administrative agencies such as the Federal Communications Commission function.  They will come to understand the interplay between Congress, federal agencies and federal courts. They also work closely with a broad range of public interest organizations and will get to know many key people working in the communications policy field.

Third, staff attorneys gain valuable teaching experience. They receive training in clinical teaching and spend much of their time teaching students in a one-on-one setting. They also have the opportunity to participate in and teach seminars. IPR's seminar program covers skills, such as negotiation and complaint drafting, administrative and appellate practice, and professional responsibility issues.  

Finally, staff attorneys have many opportunities to expand their own knowledge of the practice of law generally.  Within the IPR clinic, staff attorneys will gain exposure to the other practice areas as well as issues of professional responsibility.  As part of the Georgetown University Law Center community, staff attorneys have opportunities to attend seminars and programs, to get to know other faculty and graduate fellows, and to participate in a variety of on and off-campus activities.

What qualifications are we looking for?

We are looking for applicants who demonstrate at least some of the following characteristics:

• interest and background, either through courses or work experience, in communications law or related fields,
• a commitment to doing work in the public interest,
• strong legal writing and communication skills, and
• an interest in teaching law students in a clinical setting (past teaching or clinical experience is especially valuable).

Other important information

The position will start in mid-August 2005 and end in August 2007. It pays an annual stipend of at least $42,000. Graduate fellows/staff attorneys are awarded an LL.M in Advocacy upon completion of the two-year term.

How to apply?

Persons interested in applying should submit the following:

• resume,
• law school transcript,
• two letters of recommendation from law school teachers or attorneys who are familiar with the candidate's work,
• a statement (not longer than one page single-spaced) setting forth the reasons for their interest in the position, and
• a writing sample.

Applications must be postmarked no later than December 1, 2004. Send all materials to:

Angela J. Campbell
Institute for Public Representation
Georgetown University Law Center
600 New Jersey Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20001

Re: Fellowship Program

After reviewing the application materials, we will select candidates to be interviewed at our office. While the Institute cannot pay candidates' travel expenses, we will try to arrange interviews at a time most convenient for candidates' schedules.

Revised September 29, 2003 (WD)