Harvard Food Law and Policy Clinic: 2015 Clinical Fellow

The Harvard Food Law and Policy Clinic, a division of the Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation of Harvard Law School, is seeking a Clinical Fellow to start in summer or early fall 2015.

Duties & Responsibilities:

Reporting to the Director of the Food Law and Policy Clinic, the Fellow will work independently and with the Director, staff, and students on a broad range of international, federal, state, and local policy projects addressing the health, environmental, and economic impacts of our food system. FLPC projects make cutting-edge policy recommendations to increase access to nutritious food for individuals and families, reduce diet-related diseases, and assist small-scale and sustainable food producers in participating in markets.

FLPC’s projects fall into four main categories: Food Policy Councils and Food Systems Planning; Food Access and Obesity Prevention; Food Waste; and, Sustainable Food Production. Some current and past Clinic projects include:

• Assisting with the development and research needs of state and local food policy councils;
• Conducting training for food policy councils and other community coalitions to better understand the legal and policy context and achieve their food system goals;
• Commenting on major federal regulations, such as the Food and Drug Administration rules implementing the Food Safety Modernization Act;
• Identifying and promoting creative policies to reduce the 40% of food that goes to waste in the United States; and
• Researching and recommending policies that all levels of government can use to improve the foods served in schools.

As the FLPC is a division of the Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation, the Fellow will also work closely will staff and students throughout the Center, including on projects at the intersection of health and food law and policy.

                                 

The Fellow’s work will entail, but is not limited to:

• Serving as the lead attorney on one or several projects, which includes managing and directing the day-to-day project work;
• Managing client and partner relationships on the projects the Fellow oversees;
• Working closely with students on the projects the Fellow oversees;
• Assisting with development of the classroom courses offered in conjunction with the Clinic;
• Delivering presentations of our work to local and regional food policy groups and at national conferences;
• Undertaking various administrative tasks within the Clinic, including event planning, communications, development, and other tasks that arise; and
• Helping to set and implement the vision for the ongoing development and success of the Clinic.

                      

Qualifications:

JD required, earned within the last three years. Successful candidates should possess the following skills and attributes: strong writing, research, and communication skills; keen motivation to learn and achieve superior professional practice and mentoring of students; creative problem-solving skills and demonstrated ability to work innovatively within broad program goals; strong sense of self-motivation and entrepreneurial mindset; strong organizational, time management, and project management skills; demonstrated leadership experience; ability to work independently, as well as in teams, and in demanding and periodically high stress circumstances; and relevant academic or professional experience.

Note: This is an expected two-year fellowship, subject to funding and departmental needs.

Additional Information:

Established in 2010, the Harvard Food Law and Policy Clinic addresses the health, environmental, and economic consequences of the laws and policies that govern our food system. The FLPC utilizes substantive expertise in food law and policy and a robust policy skill set to assist nonprofit and governmental clients in a variety of local, state, federal, and international settings in understanding and improving the laws impacting the food system. As the oldest food law clinical program in the United States, the FLPC is a pioneer in the field of food law and policy, and serves as a counselor and model for lawyers and law schools entering this field. The FLPC is a division of the Harvard Law School Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation.

Law students enrolled in the Clinic get hands-on learning experience conducting legal and policy research for individuals, communities, and governments on a wide range of food law and policy issues. The FLPC has trained dozens of clinical students at HLS, as well as many interns, volunteers, and pro bono students from Harvard and other schools across the United States. Working in the FLPC allows students to provide public service as law students, while honing their legal skills in order to continue addressing food policy concerns and other pressing social issues post-graduation.

FLPC projects have seen a high level of success, including passing new legislation, regulations, and ordinances at the state and local levels; providing legal and policy trainings to a broad range of community and advocacy groups; and participating in key dialogues about improving the food system at all levels of government.

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

To apply: http://hls.harvard.edu/dept/hr/jobs-at-hls/; Requisition #35181BR