Legal Food Hub Fellow-CAFS

Company: Vermont Law School
Location: South Royalton
Posted on: January 16, 2022

Job Description:

Description:Vermont Law School is committed to cultivating and preserving a culture of inclusion and connectedness. We are able to grow and learn better together with a diverse group of faculty, staff, and students. In recruiting for faculty and staff, we seek unique backgrounds in education, opinions, culture, ethnicity, race, sex, gender identity and expression, nation of origin, age, languages spoken, veteran's status, color, religion, disability, sexual orientation, and beliefs. As part of our commitment to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, candidates who meet the qualifications for this position and who require accommodations to apply should contact Human Resources at jobs@vermontlaw.edu. Vermont Law School strives to raise the bar for being an Equal Opportunity Employer.
LEGAL FOOD HUB FELLOWSHIP
The Food Movement grows here. Join us in Vermont, one of the most innovative and progressive states in the nation for food and agricultural law and policy. Vermont Law School's Center for Agriculture and Food Systems (CAFS) invites applications for a one-year Legal Food Hub fellowship beginning January 2022.
FELLOWSHIP DESCRIPTIONThe Center for Agriculture and Food Systems (CAFS) uses law and policy to build a more sustainable and just food system. CAFS cultivates future leaders and empowers food system stakeholders through education, research, and collaboration. As part of this work, CAFS has partnered with Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) on the Legal Food Hub, a program that connects farmers, food entrepreneurs, and related organizations with free legal assistance and educational resources. CLF launched the first Legal Food Hub in Massachusetts in 2014 and now operates Hubs in Maine, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. CAFS operates the Legal Food Hub in Vermont, which launched in January 2020.The Fellow will be a key part of the Legal Food Hub team, advancing the goals of the Hub in Vermont and across the New England region. This will likely include developing legal resources for food and farm stakeholders on relevant legal topics; working with our network of volunteer attorneys to strengthen and expand legal capacity to work on farm-related legal issues around the region; conducting legal training for farmers and other key stakeholders. The Fellow may also have the opportunity to work on Legal Food Hub matters placed in our Food and Agriculture Clinic.
NATURE OF THE FELLOWSHIPThis fellowship is designed for a recent graduate or a practicing lawyer seeking to transition to a food/ag-oriented practice. The Fellow will be housed within CAFS and work primarily with the CAFS Legal Food Hub team but will have the opportunity to work directly with CLF's Legal Food Hub team also. The fellow's responsibilities will likely include, but not be limited to:

• Working on research projects to develop legal resources for farmers, food entrepreneurs, and related organizations. Areas of research may include legal structure and liability; land access and land use; food labeling and regulation of novel food products; and other transactional and business-related topics.
• Developing and conducting training and other educational events for attorneys and food system stakeholders.
• Engaging in outreach to the broader food system community in Vermont and across New England, including outreach to strengthen and expand our network of volunteer attorneys.
• Supporting the operation of the Vermont Legal Food Hub, including case intake, placements, and monitoring.
• Evaluating the success of the Legal Food Hub through data collection and analysis.
• Providing transactional/business law services to Vermont farmers, food entrepreneurs, and related organizations.FELLOWSHIP BENEFITSAnnual salary $50,000 plus benefits; one-year position.. Requirements:FELLOWSHIP QUALIFICATIONS:
  • JD from an ABA-accredited law school
  • Strong legal research, writing, interpersonal, and communications skills
  • Experience and/or strong interest in a transactional legal practice
  • Demonstrated commitment to sustainable agriculture and local/regional food systems
  • Active bar admission (Vermont preferred)OTHER REQUIREMENTS:
    • Experience working in Microsoft Office and Windows environments; ability to learn student-specific databases quickly.
    • Ability to perform work remotely for emergencies as needed.
    • This position requires candidates to reside within commuting distance to the VLS Campus in South Royalton, Vermont
    • All Vermont Law School employees must be fully vaccinated for Covid19 prior to their first day of employment, barring approved medical exemptions, which require weekly Covid19 testing to access campus.APPLICANT REQUIREMENTS:
      • Please submit both a resume and cover letter
      • Applicants must submit a writing sample, not to exceed 5 pages
      • Final candidates will be required to present educational transcripts and at least three (3) professional references as well as undergo a background checkApplications and information must be received by October 22, 2021
        PM20
        PI160790810

Keywords: Vermont Law School, New England , Legal Food Hub Fellow-CAFS, Legal , South Royalton, Northeast