DRLC Launches Kirkland & Ellis Justice Fellowship 

To Lead Advocacy Work in Disability Communities

The Disability Rights Legal Center announces the creation of the Kirkland & Ellis Justice Fellowship, a two-year position to head up the Center's newly formed Community Advocacy Program. The goal of the Program and the Fellowship is to provide the disability community with critical information and resources about their civil rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act and other laws. "This fellowship will allow an outstanding new lawyer the freedom to do in-depth research on real life issues facing the disability community, while serving the current needs of the community.This fellowship recognizes DRLC's commitment to training the next generation of advocates," said Paula Pearlman, Executive Director of the DRLC.               

The Fellow will work at DRLC's Los Angeles office with other staff in the program, as well as DRLC's clinical law students and pro bono attorneys. He or she will also be responsible for outreach to legal organizations, service providers, and other attorneys in order to facilitate meaningful referrals for callers and educate the community about DRLC's services. Importantly, the Fellow will develop at least one area of expertise, such as housing rights for people with disabilities, rights of people who use service animals, the education rights of youth in the delinquency system, or the intersection of race and disability. The Fellow will give trainings and write articles in this area of expertise to further the civil rights of people with disabilities in the disability and legal communities.

The fellowship is named in honor of Kirkland & Ellis LLP in recognition of the DRLC's long-standing pro-bono and co-counseling relationships with the firm, and for Kirkland's generous funding of this position. Candidates for the Kirkland & Ellis Justice Fellowship must apply online through the DRLC website by 5 p.m. (PST) on Friday, July 8, 2011. The selected Fellow will begin work on Monday, October 3, 2011. 

To better serve residents of Orange County, Community Outreach Program staff will hold office hours on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Dayle McIntosh Center in Garden Grove. That means this month we will host office hours at the center on June 22. Come meet our staff and learn about laws protecting the civil rights of those with disabilities, and services available to them, including health care, special education, government services and more. For more information, or to schedule an appointment, contact Maggie Hui, Community Outreach Program Coordinator, at (213) 736-1408 or Maggie.Hui@lls.edu. Video TDD (213) 736-8310; Video Relay Number (866) 912-8193. The Dayle McIntosh Center is located at 13272 Garden Grove Boulevard, Garden Grove, CA 92843-2205.