[Hiring] Legal Fellow @The Signals Network

Role Description

The Legal Fellow will work with the Whistleblower Protection Program Director and the Whistleblower Protection Team to help advance the organization’s Whistleblower Protection Program. The Fellow will be exposed to all aspects of TSN’s work with whistleblowers and thus must be able to operate with the utmost confidentiality and sensitivity.

• Conduct legal, factual and policy research at the national, regional and international levels;
• Draft memoranda and briefings to further progress individual cases;
• Provide direct support to whistleblower clients and undertake case management;
• Field initial requests for whistleblower support through our whistleblower intake system;
• Participate in meetings related to whistleblower support, including with external counsel & partner organizations;
• Draft and edit educational and case-specific advocacy materials for external audiences;
• Support the Whistleblower Protection Team on specific projects aimed at improving the legal environment for whistleblowers and improving public support for whistleblowers themselves;
• Assist in communications aimed at strengthening whistleblower protection, including engaging and training journalists;
• Assist with administrative, fundraising and reporting tasks as required.

Qualifications

• Required: Candidates must hold a J.D., LLM, or LLB or complete their degree by June 2026.
• A key qualification of this role is the ability to work sensitively and with the utmost confidentiality.
• Strong legal and non-legal research and writing skills and the ability to work independently are also essential.
• A demonstrable commitment to human rights issues.
• Desired: Experience working directly with clients, especially ones who have been traumatized and are vulnerable.
• Exposure to and/or an interest in working with the media and/or policy makers.
• Experience working with NGOs or small organizations, and with regional or international institutions.

Requirements

• A cover letter describing your motivations for wanting to work for TSN;
• A CV/Resume;
• A legal writing sample;
• The remote location(s) where you will be based during the fellowship;
• Your full-time (preferred) or part-time availability and the dates you would like to undertake this yearlong fellowship;
• Details of your fellowship or other funding source, either actual or potential.

Benefits

• Candidates must secure their own external funding to cover the full costs of the fellowship from a university, law firm, professional training program, or other institutional source of funding.
• University credit in lieu of external funding will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
• An opportunity to extend the fellowship is possible and Legal Fellows will be prioritized for hiring as openings arise.

Company Description

The Signals Network (TSN) is an international 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to supporting whistleblowers who have shared public interest information with the press and public. Founded in 2017 by journalists, whistleblowers, lawyers and entrepreneurs, TSN operates internationally to hold powerful interests accountable.

• Empowering workers to stand up to power and speak out about wrongdoing;
• Protecting whistleblowers who contribute to published reports of wrongdoing;
• Supporting journalists to investigate wrongdoing;
• Advocating for lasting change as a result of whistleblower revelations.