Equal Justice Works/Skadden Fellow - Consumer & Public Benefits

Description

Legal Aid DC seeks applicants to sponsor for an Equal Justice Works or Skadden Fellowship. The Fellow will work with the Consumer Law Unit and Public Benefits Unit on a project to minimize the harm to DC residents created by changes to health insurance programs in H.R. 1 (otherwise known as the “Big Beautiful Bill”) and increased rise of medical debt. Specifically, the Fellow will focus on the effects of the reduction in available health coverage for immigrant populations, and the introduction of Medicaid work requirements.   Legal Aid will work with the Fellow, once selected, through the application process to seek funding.  

Since 1932, Legal Aid has provided civil legal assistance to clients in individual cases and engaged in systemic reform. Currently, we provide individual representation in consumer law, domestic violence/family law, housing, public benefits, immigration, and appellate matters. We also help individuals with the collateral consequences of their involvement with the criminal justice system. From the experiences of our clients, we identify opportunities for law reform, public policy advocacy, and systemic impact and appellate litigation. 

Legal Aid DC believes that meaningful pursuit of our anti-poverty mission requires an unwavering commitment to racial justice and equity. We aspire both to reflect the rich racial diversity of the communities we serve and to value, respect, and empower our staff and clients to be effective agents of change. Legal Aid has successfully sponsored both Equal Justice Works and Skadden fellows in the past, and our staff includes numerous former fellows. For more information about Legal Aid please visit our website, www.LegalAidDC.org. 

About the Fellowship

The implementation of H.R. 1 will have widespread and devastating effects on families nationwide and in the District. It introduces new limitations on access to health insurance based upon immigration status, leading to hundreds of DC residents potentially losing access to Medicaid, Medicare, the Healthy DC plan, and the DC Health Benefit Exchange. It also introduces work requirements for adults to be able to access Medicaid starting in January 2027. These work requirements are expected to lead to widespread loss of health insurance, and thus health care, for thousands of DC residents. 

The Fellow would concentrate on identifying additional resources or programs available for DC residents who lose health insurance coverage due to H.R. 1 and encouraging and expanding enrollment in those programs. For DC residents who incur health care costs because they cannot find alternate insurance coverage, or their insurance fails to cover all of their medical expenses, the Fellow will also directly represent clients in addressing the resulting medical debt.  

Responsibilities

The Fellow’s work may include, but is not limited to, the following:  

• Providing direct representation and carrying an active case load, which may include representing clients who: 
• are wrongly denied or terminated from public health insurance programs,  
• incur medical debt due to unlawful insurance terminations, 
• are subject to unlawful medical debt collection practices, or 
• are unlawfully denied by medical providers, put on payment plans, or receive medical bills in excess of the income caps contrary to the District’s Medical Debt Mitigation Amendment Act; 
• Tracking the implementation of the Judith Heumann Memorial Workers with Disabilities Act of 2025, which provides a path for workers with disabilities to buy in to Medicaid;  
• Tracking the implementation of the Medical Debt Mitigation Amendment Act, which requires facilities to offer payment plans to low-income patients with unpaid medical bills; 
• Engaging in systemic reform concerning the implementation of H.R.1 and the implementation of the two new District laws; 
• Leading community outreach on issues related to public health insurance programs and medical debt, both to identify potential clients and to provide “know your rights” trainings; and 
• Participating in other efforts to mitigate the harm caused by the implementation of H.R.1.   

The Fellow will work with, and be jointly supervised by, supervising attorneys in the Public Benefits and Consumer Units.  

Legal?Aid Fellows primarily work out of our NW office but may also work out of Legal Aid’s community office in SE. 

Qualifications 

• Membership or eligibility for membership in the DC bar is required. 
• A demonstrated commitment to social, economic and racial justice, and the public interest. 
• Strong legal analysis, organizational, oral and written communication, and leadership skills. 
• The ability to work collaboratively with clients, Legal Aid DC staff, and legal and social services providers in other organizations. 
• Fluency or proficiency in Spanish, Amharic, or another language prevalent in Legal Aid DC’s client community preferred but not required. 

The selected candidate will work with Legal Aid on fellowship applications to be submitted to the Equal Justice Works/Skadden Foundation in the fall of 2026. The fellowship, if awarded, will begin in the fall of 2027 and is anticipated to last two years.   

Salary and Benefits 

The Fellow will be paid by applying for outside fellowship funding from either Equal Justice Works or Skadden fellowship programs. Fellowships will only commence if outside funding is granted. If fellowship funding is lower than Legal Aid’s salary scale, Legal Aid will pay the fellow the additional amount to bring them up to the appropriate salary. While salary may change before the fall of 2027, Legal Aid’s current salary scale provides: 

• Pre-bar attorney or attorney with less than one year of experience: $72,830 
• Attorney with one year full-time legal work experience: $75,431 
• Attorney with two years full-time legal work experience: $77,646 

Legal Aid offers a generous benefit package, including eligibility for fully paid health insurance, annual retirement match, 13 paid holidays, 20 days of annual leave per year, and 15 days of sick leave per year. 

Click here for full salary scale and additional benefits information. 

The position is included in the bargaining unit represented by the National Organization of Legal Services Workers, UAW Local 2320. New hires start with a 90-day probationary period.

To Apply 

Legal Aid values an inclusive, diverse workplace and encourages applications from interested persons from diverse backgrounds of any race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, physical or mental, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, personal appearance, family responsibilities, matriculation, political affiliation, genetic information, or any other legally protected status.  

We strongly encourage applications from people with personal experience with criminal justice system and/or with lived experience in the communities we serve. Interested persons should submit a letter of interest and resume here. Applications will be reviewed as they are submitted. Position will close at 5pm EST on July 27, 2026. No emails or phone calls, please.