CGRS Fellowship

Since taking office again, the Trump administration has moved to systemically dismantle asylum from every angle: shutting down access to asylum at the southern border, indefinitely halting adjudication of all pending applications, constricting eligibility standards, and shunting more cases into immigration court. At the same time, they are racing to remove as many people as possible through arbitrary and often violent enforcement actions. Even people following all required procedures to obtain lawful status, including asylum, are being arrested, imprisoned, and deported to their home countries or third countries where they face persecution or torture

In this context, CGRS seeks to sponsor a graduating law student or recent law graduate to apply for externally funded public interest fellowships, including Equal Justice Works and law school funded programs. CGRS will work with a highly motivated candidate to help develop fellowship proposals related to CGRS’s expertise and priority areas, which include: restoring access to asylum, defending gender asylum, and setting positive asylum law precedents in the courts of appeals. If funded, CGRS’s fellowship candidate would be engaged in cutting edge litigation to protect asylum seekers at this critical time and in developing related litigation materials and strategies to assist attorneys and unrepresented individuals nationwide.

The Fellow would be based in CGRS’s San Francisco office. Apply by submitting a cover letter of no more than one page, your resume, unofficial law school transcript, and a writing sample of no more than 10 pages. Please highlight any relevant immigration law, refugee law, and/or international law coursework or experience, including lived experience, in your application materials. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and should be submitted as soon as possible.

About CGRS

The Center for Gender & Refugee Studies (CGRS) defends the human rights of people seeking asylum in the United States. With strategic focus and unparalleled legal expertise, for 25 years CGRS has championed the most challenging cases, fought for due process, and promoted policies that deliver safety and justice for refugees.

We are the trusted partner and proven resource for legal services providers and human rights organizations and bring invaluable data and compelling personal stories to shape the public narrative. Through technical assistance and training, we empower advocates to take on complex asylum cases, providing them with the tools they need to craft winning arguments and secure protection for their clients. We use strategic litigation to advance sound asylum laws and protect due process rights. And our policy advocacy and education work provide critical expertise to policymakers at all levels of government, leading the movement to honor our commitments to refugees and asylum seekers under U.S. and international law. CGRS is committed to building an anti-racist and anti-oppression organization that lives its values internally and externally.