Entry Level Human Rights Jobs in Washington, DC (NOW HIRING)

The Tycko & Zavareei LLP Public Interest Fellowship, now in its 15th year, is a two-year post-JD opportunity for new lawyers with a passion for and experience in public interest work, sincere interest in impactful litigation, and enthusiasm for challenging societal inequities.
Tycko & Zavareei LLP is currently accepting applications for its 2027-2029 Public Interest Fellowship (a two-year fellowship term), located in Washington, D.C. and beginning September 2027. Applicants who wish to be considered for the 2027-2029 cycle must electronically submit a complete application by 6:00 PM Eastern Time on July 31, 2026.
Before submitting an application please carefully review the information below.
The Firm: Founded in 2002, Tycko & Zavareei LLP ("TZ") is a nationally renowned public interest plaintiffs' law firm with offices in Washington, D.C., California, and Ohio. At the heart of the Firm is its mission to protect the public interest through significant, impactful litigation. Specializing in class actions and other complex litigation, as well as qui tam and False Claims Act litigation, TZ's bicoastal teams of exceptional and compassionate advocates represent individuals and groups across the country in a wide array of high-impact matters relating to economic, social, and employment justice, including in the areas of consumer protection, whistleblower rights, civil rights and liberties, higher education, wage and hour, health care, and data privacy.
The Fellowship: The Tycko & Zavareei LLP Public Interest Fellowship is a two-year post-JD fellowship program for recent law school graduates, with a demonstrated commitment to a public interest legal career and an affinity for litigation. Recruitment occurs once per year, in the summer, during which TZ invites fellowship applications-from a) rising 3Ls, and b) recent law school graduates entering one-year judicial clerkships or other fellowship programs-for the program term beginning the fall of the following calendar year and concluding two calendar years thereafter.
The Fellowship offers the unique opportunity for an entry-level lawyer to launch their public service career by immediately functioning as a junior associate and gaining hands-on experience, instruction, and mentorship across all facets of public interest litigation. Fellows obtain a broad base of substantive and practical experience, receive extensive litigation training and support from senior attorneys, and are entrusted to take on significant responsibility early in their careers. For the duration of their two-year program, fellows are full-time employees of TZ and receive from the firm a salary and benefits.
A defining feature of the Fellowship is the three-month nonprofit placement - a 12-week period (typically occurring during Year 2) during which the fellow works externally as a Visiting Fellow, directly supporting the work of a non-profit or other public interest host organization. Fellows play a significant role in selecting their own public interest hosting organization, based largely on their own professional interests and goals. In recent years, fellows have chosen to work with the following well-established, highly respected non-profits:

• Human Rights First (www.humanrightsfirst.org), which advocates on behalf of human rights in the United States and around the world.
• The National Women's Law Center (www.nwlc.org), which fights for women's rights in employment, education, healthcare and other areas.
• Bread for the City (www.breadforthecity.org), which provides vulnerable residents of Washington, D.C. with comprehensive services, including legal assistance.
• National Consumer Law Center (www.nclc.org), which works for consumer justice and economic security for low-income and other disadvantaged people, including older adults.
• Public Justice (www.publicjustice.net), which pursues high impact lawsuits to combat social and economic injustice, protect the Earth's sustainability, promote equitable food systems, and challenge predatory corporate conduct and government abuses.
• Tzedek DC (www.tzedekdc.org), whose mission is to "safeguard the legal rights of low-income DC residents dealing with often unjust, abusive, and illegal debt collection practices, as well as other consumer protection problems like credit reporting issues, identity theft, and predatory lending."
• Washington Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs (www.washlaw.org), which "has been on the front line of civil rights work for more than 50 years."

* * *
Tycko & Zavareei LLP 2027-2029 Fellowship
For the Fellowship's 2027-2029 term, one or two candidates will be selected for the two-year fellowship located in Washington, D.C., beginning in September 2027 and ending in Fall 2029.
Compensation: The compensation package for the 2027-2029 fellowship includes a salary of $95,000 for Year 1 and $109,000 for Year 2, plus access to all employee benefits including generous paid time off, health/dental/vision insurance, commuter benefits, 401(k) with employer contribution after 12 months, Employee Assistance Program, professional development stipends, and other fringe benefits. In addition, for a hired fellow who will sit for the July 2027 DC Bar exam, TZ provides reimbursement for certain bar application- and exam-related expenses.
Eligibility: Rising 3Ls and recent law graduates with post-JD work experience-such as those entering/completing a judicial clerkship or another fellowship-are eligible to apply. Please note, rising 2Ls are ineligible for consideration.
Application/Hiring Process: TZ is currently accepting applications for the 2027-2029 fellowship term. Applications must be received by July 31, 2026. Applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible, as materials will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Following the consideration of all timely and complete applications, TZ will conduct two rounds of (virtual) interviews. Those selected for the first screening round will be notified by email. Final hiring decisions will be made in or before October 2026.
** Please Note: Successful applicants must have received their JD degree and have DC Bar exam results pending (or, for earlier graduates, be admitted in a UBE jurisdiction) as of the start of the fellowship in September 2027. **
TO APPLY: Complete the brief fellowship application form and upload, as pdf files, your resume, cover letter/personal statement, law school transcript(s), writing sample(s), and (optional/encouraged) professional reference list.The writing sample should reflect your writing skills, with little to no editing from any other individual, and should include factual and legal analysis. No law review articles, please. On the writing sample cover page, explain the assignment and the amount of editing others provided. For current law students, submit the most recent transcript available, without password protection. Include an explanation of your law school's grading system.
More Information: Questions about the fellowship's application requirements should be directed to the program's hiring coordinator at [email protected]. To learn more about Tycko & Zavareei LLP, the fellowship, and the unique and rewarding experiences of past TZ fellows, visit https://www.tzlegal.com/team/fellowship-program.
Tycko & Zavareei LLP is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, credit information, disability, family responsibilities, gender identity and expression, genetic information, homeless status, marital status, matriculation, national origin, personal appearance, political affiliation, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or status of a victim or family member of a victim of domestic violence, a sexual offense, or stalking.