Fellowship Opportunity

2027-2029 Aryeh Neier Fellowship Opportunity

Human Rights Watch / American Civil Liberties Union Foundation

Application Deadline: October 12, 2026

The American Civil Liberties Union Foundation (ACLU) and Human Rights Watch (HRW) invite applications for the Aryeh Neier Fellowship. The fellow will work with both organizations on joint initiatives to strengthen respect for human rights in the United States.  

For over 100 years, the ACLU has been our nation’s guardian of liberty, working in courts, legislatures, and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution, laws and treaties of the United States.  Whether it’s ending mass incarceration, achieving full equality for the LGBT community, advancing racial justice, establishing new privacy protections for our digital age, or preserving the right to vote or the right to have an abortion, the ACLU takes up the toughest civil liberties and civil rights cases and issues to defend all people from government abuse and overreach. With more than one million members, activists, and supporters, the ACLU is a nationwide organization that fights tirelessly in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and Washington, D.C., for the principle that every individual’s rights must be protected equally under the law, regardless of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status and record of arrest or conviction, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. 

Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an international human rights monitoring, research, and advocacy organization known for its in-depth investigations, incisive and timely reporting, innovative and high-profile advocacy campaigns, and success in impacting and changing the human rights-related policies and practices of influential governments and international institutions worldwide.

Human Rights Watch is an independent non-governmental organization with more than 600 staff in 50 countries of 70-plus nationalities who are country experts, lawyers, journalists, advocates, and academics that works to advance human rights globally. We investigate wrongs, expose the facts, design and advocate for solutions, and challenge those with power to acknowledge, respect, and protect rights. We collaborate with people claiming their rights, learn from and work with partners, and engage the public, stakeholders, and decision makers in education and advocacy.  Human Rights Watch upholds the freedoms and defends protections that promote dignity, equity, and justice.

To ensure our independence, we refuse government funding and carefully review all donations to ensure they are consistent with our policies, mission, and values.

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Human Rights Watch and the ACLU created the fellowship in 2002 with generous funding from the Open Society Institute to honor the legacy of Aryeh Neier. As executive director of the ACLU and then of Human Rights Watch, Aryeh Neier helped develop both organizations into powerful forces for justice and human rights.

A special committee from both organizations will select the fellows, who will begin their two-year fellowship in September 2027. The Fellow will most likely be placed in the New York City offices of Human Rights Watch and the ACLU, spending a year at each; however, the fellow should be open to placement in the organizations’ offices in other locations in the US as well. We aim to be as flexible and supportive as possible in both the recruitment for and onboarding of this position. 

RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Monitor human rights issues and developments in the United States; 
2. Conduct field research in the United States;
3. Draft reports and/or other materials on human rights conditions;
4. Engage in advocacy aimed at publicizing and curtailing human rights violations;
5. Assist with the development of litigation strategies; and
6. Carry out other tasks as may be required. 

QUALIFICATIONS:

Education: Candidates must be recent graduates with a J.D. from a US law school or have a J.D. granted by June 2027. 

Experience: Academic or work experience related to some aspect of the protection of human rights and civil liberties in the United States. 

RELATED SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE:

1. Take and/or pass the bar exam prior to commencing the fellowship in September 2027.
2. Eligibility to practice law in the US during the second year of the fellowship.
3. Exceptional analytical skills, and an ability to write and speak clearly and persuasively.
4. Self-motivation with the ability to take initiative and follow through on projects to completion.
5. Ability to work independently as well as within a team.
6. Proficiency in one language in addition to English is preferred.
7. A demonstrated commitment to human rights and justice.  

Salary: The fellow will receive $70,000 in the first year, with a salary increase in the second year.  

Application Deadline: Please apply immediately or by 11:59 PM ET on October 12, 2026 by visiting our online job portal at https://careers.hrw.org and attaching a CV/resume, letter of interest, and a brief writing sample (unedited by others) in PDF format. No calls or email inquiries, please. Only complete applications will be reviewed. Due to the large number of applications, only short-listed candidates will be contacted further.

Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted to submit the following: two letters of recommendation and an official law or graduate school transcript.

Successful applicants should be available for an interview from late November to mid-December 2026.

Please direct inquiries, including those related to any technical difficulties with your application submission or if you require a disability-related accommodation to submit your application, to fellowship@hrw.org. Due to the large response, application submissions via email will not be accepted and inquiries regarding the status of applications will go unanswered.   

For more information, please see the FAQs: Fellowship FAQs. 

This job description provides a general but not comprehensive list of the essential responsibilities and qualifications required.  It does not represent a contract of employment. The ACLU/HRW reserves the right to change the job description and/or posting at any time without advance notice. 

Human Rights Watch and the ACLU are strong because we are diverse. We actively seek a diverse applicant pool and encourage candidates of all backgrounds to apply. Human Rights Watch does not discriminate on the basis of disability, age, gender identity and expression, national origin, race and ethnicity, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, or criminal record. We welcome all kinds of diversity. Our employees include people who are parents and nonparents, the self-taught and university educated, and from a wide span of socio-economic backgrounds and perspectives on the world. Human Rights Watch and the ACLU are equal opportunity employers. 

The ACLU comprises two separate corporate entities, the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU Foundation. Both the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU Foundation are national organizations with the same overall mission and share office space and employees. The ACLU has two separate corporate entities in order to do a broad range of work to protect civil liberties. This job posting refers collectively to the two organizations under the name "ACLU".