Legal and Policy Fellow

Center for Agriculture and Food Systems (CAFS)

Full-time, exempt, grant-funded

Reports to: CAFS Director

Salary: $65,000-$75,000/year

VLGS Benefits and PTO include: 

- Full benefits (medical, dental, vision, etc.). 

- 403b including 4% employer contribution.

- 2 weeks of paid vacation in addition to paid personal and sick days. 

- 11 paid holidays plus two weeks of paid “Dean’s Days” for Summer and Winter breaks. 

- Employee Assistance Program.

- VLGS course participation with tuition assistance.

- Flexible schedule potential.

Vermont Law and Graduate School is committed to cultivating and preserving a culture of inclusion and connectedness. We grow and learn better together with a diverse group of faculty, staff, and students. In recruiting for faculty and staff, we seek unique backgrounds to enrich and challenge our community. 

Please attach a resume, cover letter, and a writing sample with an example of legal and/or policy writing for consideration. 

Position Summary:

The Center for Agriculture and Food Systems (CAFS) is a research-based center at Vermont Law and Graduate School that produces original scholarly research in the field of food and agricultural law and policy to serve the broadest range of food system stakeholders. With local, regional, national, and international partners, CAFS addresses food system challenges related to food and nutrition security and affordability, farmland access, food system workers, farm viability, local economies, and public health, among others. CAFS works closely with its partners to provide legal services and develop resources that respond to their needs. Through CAFS’s Food and Agriculture Clinic and Research Assistant program, Vermont Law and Graduate School students work directly on projects alongside partners nationwide, engaging in innovative work that spans the food system.

The Fellow conducts research, supervises students, and develops legal and policy resources and tools. The Fellow is a valued member of the Center’s team who contributes research and develops materials that provide approachable legal and policy information to individuals and entities including farmers, ranchers, and other food producers, as well as technical assistance and service providers, food system stakeholders, local governments, and other supporting organizations.

*NOTE: This is a grant-funded, two-year position with the possibility of renewal contingent on funding and staffing needs.

Essential Functions and Principal Accountabilities:

Specific responsibilities will include but are not limited to the following:

• Conduct legal and policy research and analysis to contribute substantively to existing projects, in collaboration with the Center’s staff and faculty. Projects will include the Local and Regional Food Systems Policy Project and may include additional contributions to the Farmer’s Market Legal Toolkit, the Healthy Food Policy Project, or the Farmland Access Legal Toolkit. The Fellow’s work may include updating existing web resources with new information and/or developing new case studies, memos, fact sheets, policy issue briefs, and reports.
• Research, review, and analyze local and state laws and regulations related to local and regional food systems, institutional procurement, local food retail, and urban agriculture. This includes identification, coding, and summary of local and state government laws and regulations appropriate for inclusion in the Center’s searchable policy databases, focusing primarily on recently enacted legislation. Further research into local policies and their implementation may include follow-up interviews with local stakeholders and observers and additional primary research.
• Supervise JD and master’s students on projects including those in the Food and Agriculture Clinic, summer honors interns or student research assistants; review, critique, and approve documents prepared by students including memos, reports, policy briefs, webinars, and other oral presentations; and hold individual conferences with students as appropriate.
• Conduct outreach and present on the Center’s work at national conferences, trainings, and events.
• Identify and build relationships with grassroots and academic collaborators in order to identify key food systems issues, facilitate external review processes, and ensure resources are well-designed and targeted to key audiences. Collaborate and consult with internal colleagues and external peer advisors to help design and disseminate legal and policy resources.

Required Education, Skills, and Experience

• Juris Doctor required, admission to Vermont bar preferred or the ability to waive in.
• Two to four years of relevant legislative, legal, or policy experience, including judicial clerkships.
• Demonstrated commitment to sustainable agriculture and local/regional food systems (work in food and agriculture settings preferred).
• Strong legal research, writing, interpersonal, and communications skills.
• Ability to think systemically and develop analysis and recommendations based on thorough research.
• Ability to effectively interact, collaborate, and develop meaningful relationships with people of various cultural, religious, and socioeconomic backgrounds, among others.
• Self-motivated, creative, entrepreneurial spirit and ability and desire to work both independently and as part of a team.

Other Requirements:

• Ability to prioritize multiple tasks and deadlines and reorganize under pressure.
• Ability to work independently and within a team.
• Ability to shift focus quickly as needed to meet other priorities and needs
• Primary work is done sitting and/or standing at a desk.
• Ability to perform all essential functions of the job with or without basic accommodations.
• Must be able to work legally within the United States without sponsorship.
• The ability to speak Spanish is not required but will be considered favorably.

Application Requirements:

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Position open until filled.

Please attach a resume, cover letter, and a writing sample with an example of legal and/or policy writing for consideration.

If you are applying from a third party website (Indeed, etc.) and are unable to attach additional materials to your online application, please apply directly at https://www.vermontlaw.edu/community/about-vls/employment-opportunities or email required documents to Christine Moyer, cmoyer@vermontlaw.edu.

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 and Graduate School strives to raise the bar for being an Equal Opportunity Employer, and we prohibit discrimination based on race, color, religion, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, place of birth, marital status, disability, veteran's status, HIV status, pregnancy, genetic information, health insurance status, and crime victim status.

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