Legal Associate

The Cato Institute invites graduating law school students and recent graduates to apply for our Legal Associate Program at the Robert A. Levy Center for Constitutional Studies. Students are encouraged to take the bar exam before beginning employment, though this is not a requirement. Employment will begin in Summer 2024 — dates flexible and partly depend on when current associates depart — and last for one year. This is a very competitive process, so applicants are also encouraged to apply for internships with Cato at https://www.cato.org/intern/.

Legal associates assist with projects such as Supreme Court amicus briefs, research memos, policy papers, and the Cato Supreme Court Review. This is an ideal position for those looking to do substantive work on appellate amicus briefs in the most consequential cases of the year. The position offers a rare opportunity to focus on substantive constitutional and statutory arguments rather than the typical tasks assigned to entry-level lawyers. It is ideal for those looking to work in public interest litigation, think tanks, or academia. Past associates have gone on to work at Pacific Legal Foundation, the Competitive Enterprise Institute, the National Constitution Center, NetChoice, Mountain States Legal Foundation, Liberty Justice Center, National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation, and many more. Please indicate in your cover letter if you may have access to outside funding, whether through your law school or elsewhere. We will accept applications through March 15th.

About Cato

The Cato Institute is a public policy research organization—a think tank—dedicated to the principles of individual liberty, limited government, free markets, and peace. Its scholars and analysts conduct independent, nonpartisan research on a wide range of policy issues.

Founded in 1977, Cato owes its name to Cato’s Letters, a series of essays published in 18th- century England that presented a vision of a society free from excessive government power. Those essays inspired the architects of the American Revolution. And the simple, timeless principles of that revolution — individual liberty, limited government, and free markets – turn out to be even more powerful in today’s world of global markets and unprecedented access to information than Jefferson or Madison could have imagined. Social and economic freedom is not just the best policy for a free people, it is the indispensable framework for the future.

The Cato Institute is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Responsibilities

• Supreme Court amicus briefs
• Research memos
• Policy papers
• The Cato Supreme Court Review.

• 3L Entry Level Position
• An interest in libertarian theory
• Strong writing and communication skills

How to apply

Qualified candidates should submit the following application materials in one PDF document:

• Cover letter
• Resume
• Writing Sample
• (Unofficial) Law School Transcript.