Ron Plesser Public Interest Fellowship in Privacy, Civil Liberties, and Internet Policy

The law firm of DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary has established a public interest fellowship at the Center for Democracy & Technology (“CDT”) in honor of Ron Plesser, a senior partner at the firm who died suddenly in the fall of 2004. Ron was a leader in the fields of e-commerce, freedom of information, and privacy law who began his career as a public interest lawyer. Over the course of his legal career, Ron helped frame the still-evolving legal standards for information policy in the digital era. In order to encourage new lawyers to follow in his path, the fellowship will be awarded in 2008 to a recent law school graduate to practice in the areas of privacy law, civil liberties and Internet policy at CDT for two years under the direction of the organization’s senior attorneys.

CDT works to promote democratic values and constitutional liberties in the digital age. With expertise in law, technology, and policy, CDT engages in a variety of strategies to enhance free expression and privacy, including advocacy, public education and research. CDT works on legislation, participates, participates in agency rulemakings, engages in litigation, and fosters consensus building among public interest and private sector stakeholders. Applicants can learn more about CDT at www.cdt.org.

Ron Plesser worked closely with CDT from its founding thirteen years ago. The fellowship honors his memory by identifying and nurturing the careers of young lawyers interested in learning the consensus-building approach to policymaking that Ron’s career exemplified. The Plesser Fellow will work on projects offering an opportunity to exercise leadership, and will broadly participate in the organization’s legal and public policy activities, in order to provide the fellow with a strong foundation upon which to pursue a public interest legal career in the privacy, civil liberties and Internet policy field. For more information, go to www.ronplesserfellowship.org.

How to Apply: Third year law students and recent law graduates with exemplary academic records, an interest in privacy, information policy, civil liberties and technology policy, and a demonstrated commitment to public interest law are encouraged to submit applications to dani@cdt.org by January 15th, 2008. Individuals completing other fellowships are welcome to apply. Applicants should include a cover letter explaining their interest in the field of privacy, civil liberties and Internet policy and two writing samples. Two letters of recommendation will be required of leading candidates, but may optionally be submitted with the application. CDT is an equal opportunity employer, and women and minorities are particularly encouraged to apply.

Important Deadlines:

• January 15, 2008-- All applications must be submitted
• January-February-- Semifinalists selected and interviewed
• March-- Plesser Fellowship Committee reviews one or more finalists, selects Fellow and extends offer
• June-September 2008-- Fellow commences work at CDT, on a date to be agreed between CDT and the Fellow

Fellowship Candidate Evaluation Criteria:

• The candidate’s demonstrated or stated commitment to public interest generally and specifically to the areas of privacy, civil liberties and Internet policy;
• The candidate’s academic record, professional/volunteer activities, subject matter expertise indicating that s/he possesses the relevant skills, initiative to make the Fellowship a success;
• The candidate’s legal writing and research skills; and
• The candidate’s commitment and ability to fulfill the two-year term required by the program.

Terms of Fellowship: The Plesser Fellowship requires a two-year commitment from the Fellow. The fellowship will pay a salary of $50,000 plus health care and other benefits.