Summer 2027 Law Clerks - Center for Gender & Refugee Studies
Immediate Opening: Summer 2027 Law Clerk Positions (Paid)
ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION
The Center for Gender and Refugee Studies (CGRS), based at the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco, seeks law student candidates for our Summer 2027 Law Clerk positions. CGRS provides legal expertise, training, and resources to attorneys representing asylum seekers, litigates cases before the immigration agency and federal courts to protect refugees, advances refugee law and policy, and uses domestic, regional and international mechanisms to address the root causes of persecution. For more information about CGRS, visit http://cgrs.uclawsf.edu/.
JOB DESCRIPTION
Law clerks are involved in the full range of CGRS’s work, and work closely with CGRS lawyers and staff in other projects as needed. For example, projects might include:
- Researching and writing on key legal issues
- Assisting in the various stages of litigation including in front of immigration courts, the Board of Immigration Appeals, federal courts of appeals, federal district courts, or international forums
- Analyzing emerging asylum law trends
- Developing training and technical assistance materials
- Conducting national policy work
- Engaging in international human rights projects
- Availability of 40 hours per week for 10 weeks (start/end dates to be agreed upon)
- Demonstrated commitment to human rights and social justice
- Strong research and writing skills
- Experience or background in asylum, immigration, and/or international human rights law
- Completion of related coursework (asylum, immigration, human rights) strongly preferred
- Ability to work independently and within a team
- Ability to protect the confidentiality of our work and our communications
- Fluency in Spanish is desirable but not required.
Given our small office and high volume of work, law clerks must be able to work with minimal supervision. Strong preference will be given to candidates who can be in-person for the summer at our office in San Francisco, CA. Please note that clerking with CGRS full-time over the summer, while not a prerequisite, is strongly preferred when we are considering candidates for post-graduate fellowships.
QUALIFICATIONS
FUNDING
We are committed to offering the best possible law clerk opportunities in an equitable manner. If the clerk is not able to get funding elsewhere or does not choose to get course or pro bono credit for the clerkship, we offer an hourly rate consistent with a research assistantship.
APPLICATION PROCEDURE
We will review applications on a rolling basis starting October 27, 2026, so we encourage applicants to submit them before that date. Please submit a short cover letter, resume, writing sample (5-10 pages), and list of 2 references. The cover letter should be no more than one page and explain how your experiences relate to the mission and work of CGRS. The resume should identify any relevant coursework and work experiences that will have been completed prior to the clerkship.
No phone calls, please.
CGRS is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to inclusive hiring and work culture. We strongly encourage applications from people of color, women, LGBTQ+ individuals, formerly incarcerated individuals, individuals with disabilities, and members of marginalized communities.
Federal law requires employers to provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities. Please reach out if you require a reasonable accommodation to apply for a job. Examples of reasonable accommodation include making a change to the application process, providing documents in an alternate format, using a sign language interpreter, or using specialized equipment.