Fall 2027 Fellowship - California Public Benefits Advocacy

Summary

The Youth Law Center (YLC) is seeking applications from third-year law students, judicial clerks, and other recent law graduates who are interested in working on advocacy related to access to public benefits—including but not limited to Social Security Administration benefits, housing programs, nutrition supports, and foster care benefits—for systems-impacted transition-aged youth (TAY) in California. Fellowship candidates will apply for fellowship funding (applications are typically due in Fall 2026) offered by the Skadden Fellowship Foundation, Equal Justice Works Foundation, and law-school-specific or other sponsored fellowships. Please note that YLC will not independently fund this fellowship, but we will cover any difference between the external funding obtained and the position salary according to our internal salary scale.

Candidates for this role should be self-starters with an interest in system-impact projects, particularly in the area of increasing access to public benefits programs for youth and young adults impacted by the child welfare and juvenile justice systems, and in working directly with California legal aid attorneys supporting those young people at home in their communities. This will be a remote position, based in California, with some opportunities to collaborate in-person with other California-based attorneys.

Position Detail 

Transition-aged youth in the juvenile justice and child welfare systems need an ecosystem of support, services, and opportunities that will allow them to thrive in adulthood. Many youth are left to navigate adulthood on their own, deeply traumatized by their experiences before system involvement, separation from their families, and their experiences in systems. Lacking relationships, post-secondary educational opportunities, financial stability, and job training, many struggle to access basic needs—including food, housing, transportation, and child care—as they transition to adulthood. YLC’s advocacy to support healthy transitions to adulthood for transition-aged youth is guided by the lived experiences of youth who are rewriting what’s possible for the next generation.

This fellowship project will build on that work, and address the unique needs of transition-aged youth in California at this particular moment, when federal actions further threaten access to the supports that these youth and young adults need to thrive. The project will include collaboration with California’s legal services network as a critical strategy for success.

Our staff will work closely with the selected candidate to develop a strong fellowship proposal for public benefits advocacy for TAY that will integrate well with YLC’s mission and related areas of focus. Candidates should be located in California, or be willing to relocate to California, and have taken or plan to take the California bar exam.

About YLC’s Advocacy

YLC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit legal advocacy organization that works to protect children in the nation’s foster care and justice systems from abuse and neglect and to ensure that they receive the necessary support and services to become healthy and productive adults. Since 1978, our lawyers have worked across the United States to reduce the use of out-of-home care and incarceration; ensure safe, humane, and developmentally appropriate conditions in out-of-home placements; keep children out of adult jails; and secure equitable treatment for children in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. Our efforts have focused on strengthening families, and we advocate for education, medical and mental health, legal support, and transition services needed to assure children’s success in care and in the community. We fight for increased accountability of the juvenile justice and child welfare systems, and champion professional and public education.

Skills & Experience

Factors that will be utilized in evaluating candidates include:

• Demonstrated commitment to public interest law
• Knowledge of, experience with, or strong interest in child welfare and/or juvenile justice issues
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Strong analytic ability and legal research skills
• Ability both to work independently in a remote-work environment and work well with others
• Anticipated or current bar membership, with strong preference given to applicants who are or will be members of the California Bar
• Ability to travel
  
  

People of color and individuals who have lived experience in the child welfare and/or juvenile justice system are strongly encouraged to apply.

Employment & Benefit Details

• Employment Status: Full-time, exempt; one-year or two-year position (depending upon the term of the awarded fellowship), with the potential to extend into a full-time staff position in related work at the conclusion of the fellowship.
• Salary: Fellows are placed on the same salary scale as our Staff Attorneys, with a possible range of $76,000 to $85,000 for fellows, depending on years of prior post-J.D. experience. All YLC staff are paid using an equitable pay structure with planned annual increases.
• Paid Time Off: Unlimited paid vacation, 13 accrued sick days annually, and 11+ paid holidays; paid parental leave after one year of service.
• Benefits: Medical (HMO & PPO options), dental, vision, long-term disability, and life insurance; EAP; healthcare and dependent care FSA plans; pre-tax commuter benefits plan; 401k with up to 4% employer match; remote workstation equipment; and a remote work expense reimbursement. Health plan premiums are currently 100% employer-paid for staff and all enrolled family members.
• Location: This position will be based in California and will be fully remote, with opportunities for in-person work with YLC’s other California-based staff members as relevant and needed for the project.
  
  

To Apply

Please submit an application via the application form on this BambooHR job page. When you apply, you will be required to provide all of the following documents:

1. Cover letter, explaining your interest in YLC, including why you are specifically interested in working on a project related to access to public benefits for systems-impacted transition-aged youth in California. This letter should also outline any related work or life experience that would make you an excellent candidate for this position.
2. Resume
3. Writing sample
4. List of at least three academic or professional references
   
   

Please submit all required documents (either as a single PDF or as separate Word or PDF document attachments) at the time of application. Incomplete applications will not be considered for this position.

Timeline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, but preference will be given to applications received by July 1st, 2026, as interviews will take place during the summer.

If you have questions about this position or the application process, feel free to contact us at careers@ylc.org, but please do not email your application materials to this email address. Note that due to the volume of applications we receive, we may not be able to respond to every inquiry in detail. No phone calls about the position, please.

About the Youth Law Center

YLC’s mission is to transform foster care and juvenile justice systems across the nation so every child and youth can thrive. Our goal is to ensure that, whenever a system must intervene in the life of a child, that child will receive the supports, services, and excellent parenting they need to become a flourishing adult. YLC’s specific, actionable, and sustainable advocacy strategies are shaped by the voices of youth and families most impacted by these systems and are informed by research in child development, psychology, behavioral economics, marketing and branding, and adult learning. The YLC team reflects the diverse backgrounds, experiences, and skills needed to make our creative approach to advocacy successful. Find out more about us at ylc.org and qpi4kids.org.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records for employment.

Equal Opportunity Employer

YLC values a diverse, inclusive workforce, and we provide equal employment opportunity for all applicants and employees. All qualified applicants for employment will be considered without regard to an individual’s actual or perceived race, color, sex, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, body size, hair style, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, physical or mental disability, neurotypicality, medical condition, family care status, marital status, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, genetic information, military or veteran status, or any other basis protected by federal, state or local laws.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Read our full DEI statement here.