Summer 2025 Reproductive Justice Legal Fellowship
The Sissy Farenthold Reproductive Justice Defense Project, housed at the Rapoport Center for Human Rights and Justice at the University of Texas School of Law in Austin, Texas, is seeking one rising 2L or 3L law student from any U.S. law school to serve as a full-time Reproductive Justice Legal Fellow during the summer of 2025. The Project is guided by the principles of the Reproductive Justice movement and its foundational ideas about maternal health, childbirth, and parenting. Working at the intersection of criminal law and reproductive justice, the Project provides resources for lawyers, health care providers, advocacy organizations, and the public; tracks criminal charges, prosecutions, and civil suits in Texas related to pregnancy and abortion; and serves as a transnational hub for academic research and advocacy regarding the criminalization of pregnancy. We seek to deter investigations of and prosecutions for pregnancy-related offenses and educate on the status of the law to ensure access to legal abortion care.
The Summer Reproductive Justice Legal Fellow will work under the direction of Project Director Blake Rocap and Criminal Defense Lead Cristina I. Ramirez, and alongside Rapoport Center faculty and staff, as well as undergraduate and graduate student interns and fellows. This fellowship is designed for a law student seeking practical research and advocacy experience in the fields of reproductive rights and/or criminal defense. It is also an excellent opportunity for a student interested in pursuing a career at an academic research center or legal non-profit. A demonstrated commitment to social justice and reproductive health, rights, and justice is highly preferred.
The Summer Reproductive Justice Legal Fellow’s responsibilities will generally include:
- performing legal research and writing on reproductive justice issues in Texas;
- tracking criminal and civil cases in Texas related to pregnancy outcomes, as part of a nationwide tracking collaborative with other advocacy groups and law schools, including retrieving and cataloging legal documents from Texas court systems;
- supporting outreach to Texas-based and national legal service providers as well as to local, national, and international partners;
- assisting in the preparation and coordination of training materials, legal resource pamphlets, presentations, and other support for attorneys, healthcare providers, and the public in Texas and across the United States;
- facilitating interdisciplinary relationships and communication across the UT campus relating to issues at the intersection of reproductive justice and criminal law;
- attend weekly team meetings and other events hosted by the Rapoport Center and the Reproductive Justice Defense Project.
Commitment
The Summer Reproductive Justice Legal Fellow will be expected to work in-person for ten weeks in Austin, Texas, with flexible start and end dates between May and August 2025. Some remote work over the course of the fellowship is possible.
Funding
The Sissy Farenthold Reproductive Justice Defense Project will work with the successful candidate to secure funding from their law school or another source or, if preferred, ensure academic credit for their work. A stipend will be available for anyone unable to secure their own funding.