First Amendment Fellow
New York Times
The mission (https://www.nytco.com/company/mission-and-values/) of The New York Times is to seek the truth and help people understand the world. That means independent journalism is at the heart of all we do as a company. It’s why we have a world-renowned newsroom that sends journalists to report on the ground from nearly 160 countries. It’s why we focus deeply on how our readers will experience our journalism, from print to audio to a world-class digital and app destination. And it’s why our business strategy centers on making journalism so good that it’s worth paying for.
About the Role
The New York Times Company is accepting applications for the one-year paid First Amendment Fellowship in its legal department. The fellow manages The Times's freedom of information litigation docket, which covers a range of subjects of interest to our journalists, such as national security, police brutality, political corruption, and public health. The fellow also assists on other matters, which may include: defending libel suits, vetting articles in pre-publication review, advising our journalists and editors on legal issues, litigating access to court records, and handling intellectual property matters.
The position, which will have a start date of early September 2026, is designed to be a learning and work experience for a lawyer in the first three years of practice or a 2026 law school graduate. The salary is $125,000 plus benefits.
Responsibilities:
+ The ideal candidate will have a demonstrated interest in media and First Amendment law, an outstanding academic record, excellent writing skills, and the ability to work both independently and collaboratively under pressure.
+ The position is based in New York with the expectation that the fellow will be in the office at least three days a week. The fellowship is for a set one-year term; it will not lead to continuing employment with The Times but it is designed to develop future media lawyers.
+ Demonstrate support and understanding of our value of journalistic independence (https://www.nytco.com/company/mission-and-values/) and a strong commitment to our mission to seek the truth and help people understand the world.
+ Applicants should submit a resume and cover letter as a single PDF on or before July 1, 2025. Finalists may also be asked to submit a writing sample.
Basic Qualifications:
+ J.D. degree from an accredited U.S. school of law and admission to the New York State Bar by or before January 2027.
REQ-018406
The annual base pay range for this role is between:
$125,000 — $125,000 USD
The New York Times Company is committed to being the world’s best source of independent, reliable and quality journalism. To do so, we embrace a diverse workforce that has a broad range of backgrounds and experiences across our ranks, at all levels of the organization. We encourage people from all backgrounds to apply.
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