What Is IPR?

IPR is a public interest law firm and law school clinic founded by Georgetown University Law Center in 1971.  Since its founding, IPR has acted 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' s work is currently focused in three areas: environmental law, civil rights law/general public interest law, and communications law and policy. IPR provides second and third year students an opportunity to develop a wide range of lawyering skills by working on real cases under the supervision of faculty members and staff attorneys.

There are five graduate fellow/staff attorney positions at IPR, and we are now recruiting for two of these two-year positions that will be available for the 2004-2006 term, one in communications and one in environmental law. There is a separate announcement and description for each position.

IPR's Environmental Practice

IPR's work in environmental law focuses on individuals and communities, primarily in the Washington metropolitan area, who suffer a disproportionate share of environmental harms and enjoy fewer environmental amenities than other parts of the area. Our clients include neighborhood associations, regional and local environmental organizations, an Indian tribe, and community activists.   IPR also represents national organizations on environmental issues of national importance arising under the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act and the National Environmental Policy Act.  We have worked on litigation involving the full array of federal and local environmental laws as well as civil rights and administrative law, and have appeared in federal and state courts and before local zoning boards, public service commissions, and agency hearing examiners.   In addition to litigation, our environmental advocacy extends to the federal and District of Columbia rule-making, permitting, and legislative processes, and frequently involves working to support coalitions of groups concerned with these issues. Much of our work is precedent setting.

The nature of IPR's environmental projects vary from year to year depending on client need, attorney interest, and resource availability. Because IPR conducts a clinical legal education program for eighteen Georgetown law students each semester, another key factor in selecting projects is their appropriateness for clinical teaching.  Additional information about IPR's projects is available on-line at www.law.georgetown.edu/clinics/ipr.

The students, most of whom are in their third year of law school, work at IPR full time and receive credit for an entire semester of law school work.  The students work on projects under the supervision of the staff attorneys and faculty members. The students and staff attorneys also participate in seminars dealing with issues of federal administrative and litigation practice, various substantive fields of law, and issues of professional responsibility.  Students have the opportunity to develop a wide range of lawyering skills as well as to consider how their personal values relate to their professional careers.

In addition to the staff attorneys, the professional staff of IPR includes three full-time members of the law school faculty.   The faculty members oversee work on projects and are responsible for teaching the seminars and grading  The faculty member responsible for the environmental projects is Professor Hope M. Babcock. Professor Babcock has directed IPR's environmental program for twelve years and has over thirty years of experience in environmental law. She was formerly general counsel of the National Audubon Society and served in the Carter Administration in the Department of the Interior.

What Do the Graduate Fellow/Staff Attorneys Do?

The staff attorneys are responsible for the day-to-day supervision of the students, and   work closely 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 their own opportunities to engage in oral and written advocacy on their projects, including the chance to argue before federal or state judges. They take an active role in project development and in planning other IPR activities.

IPR's fellowship program offers a particularly rewarding opportunity for recent law school graduates, recent graduates completing judicial clerkships, or lawyers with two to three years of work experience.  Past staff attorneys have emphasized that the IPR experience is unique in several respects.  

First, the fellowship program offers an opportunity to work on interesting, often cutting-edge projects. Because all of our projects are handled on a pro bono basis, we have leeway to choose projects that are important, interesting, and present educational opportunities for both students and staff attorneys.

Second, staff attorneys assume substantial 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 also have an opportunity to work on a variety of cases, at different stages of development, so they gain a broader understanding of how cases are developed and how the litigation process, in particular, works. Staff attorneys also work closely with a broad range of public interest organizations, meeting others who are involved in public interest law and seeing how their organizations function.

Third, staff attorneys acquire a good practical working knowledge of both specific subject matter areas and of the federal, state, and local administrative and judicial process.

Fourth, staff attorneys have an opportunity to work closely with experienced, full time faculty members, who have substantial litigation experience and substantive expertise.  For those with an interest in clinical teaching, staff attorneys get first-hand experience in clinical supervision, and also participate in, and may teach, seminars. As part of the Law Center community, staff attorneys are urged to attend faculty workshops and other programs, and to participate in a variety of on and off-campus activities.

The annual stipend for the position will be at least $42,000. The fellowship will start in August 2005 and end in August 2007.    Georgetown University Law Center awards an LL.M.  in Advocacy to each fellow upon completion of their two-year term.

What Qualifications Are We Looking For?

We are looking for applicants who demonstrate the following:

Staff attorneys must be members of the D.C. Bar or take steps to apply for membership in the D.C. Bar (through examination or reciprocity) upon being accepted for the position.

How to Apply?

Applicants for the fellowship should submit the following:

Applications should be postmarked no later than December 1, 2004, and should be sent to:

Martha Rodriguez, Administrator
Institute for Public Representation
Georgetown University Law Center
600 New Jersey Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20001

Re: Fellowship Program

After reviewing the application materials, we will select a small number of applicants to be interviewed at our office. While IPR cannot pay applicants' travel expenses, we will try to arrange interviews at a time most convenient for the applicant.

Revised September 10, 2003 (WD)