KAP 2026-2027 Legal Fellow The Buckeye Institute

Columbus, NE - USA

Monthly Salary: Not Disclosed

Posted on: 3 days ago

Vacancies: 1 Vacancy

Job Summary

The Koch Associate Program (KAP) is a career accelerator for early to mid-career professionals with a drive to tackle our countrys most pressing challenges in more effective principled ways. KAP equips associates with the tools mindsets and community to succeed as social entrepreneursindividuals excited to find new and better ways to break barriers and eliminate injustice. Associates spend one day each week engaging in experiential learning with Stand Together Fellowships and work at one of our many partner organizations the rest of the week. Our curriculum is designed to supercharge your development and equip you for long-term success as you seek to have an impact on the problems that prevent people from realizing their potential.

About The Buckeye Institute

Founded in 1989 The Buckeye Institute is an independent research and educational institution a think tankwhose mission is to advance free-market public policy in the states.

Buckeye accomplishes its mission by performing timely and reliable research on key issues compiling and synthesizing data formulating sound free-market policies and promoting those solutions for implementation in Ohio and replication across the country. It files direct legal challenges and also supports the litigation of other parties through amicus briefs including at the highest levels of state and federal courts.

You can learn more about Buckeye by watching this video and visiting our website.

According to the Columbus Dispatch The Buckeye Institute has become one of the most prominent players shaping the U.S. Supreme Courts agenda. The Buckeye Institute came in second place in the country for the number of amicus briefs it filed according to an independent analysis by Empirical SCOTUS.

Buckeye litigates on a wide range of constitutional rights amendments and powers issues. Buckeye primarily supports preventing governments from abusing power exceeding authority and infringing on rights.

The Buckeye Institute cases include but are not limited to:

First Amendment retaliation speech and association-related claims;
Challenging public-sector unions ongoing collection of former members dues; and
Rejecting Wickard v. Filburns expansive interpretation of the Interstate Commerce Clause.

The list of Buckeyes existing cases and briefs can be found here.

Buckeyes legal team also advocates for sound public policies that:

Reform our criminal justice system while keeping communities safe;
Increase worker freedom and vindicate workers First Amendment rights;
Oppose abuses by the administrative state;
Defend individual and property rights; and
Uphold the proper balance of power between states and the federal government and checks and balances between the three branches.

About the Role

The Buckeye Institute is seeking a Legal Fellow to work on-site in person in Columbus Ohio.

Duties include substantive legal and policy research involving exciting and cutting-edge issues and cases. The Legal Fellow may have active participation (under the guidance of Buckeyes professional legal team) in high-profile cases pending before state and federal courts as well as preparing for filing new lawsuits. The role may also involve assisting with the preparation of amicus curiae briefs to be filed in federal circuit courts or even the Supreme Court of the United States.

This position is open to newly-graduated law students who have not yet passed the bar as well as bar-admitted attorneys. Preference will be given to lawyers with one to five years of experience.

The Legal Fellow is expected to work full-time during regular business hours when The Buckeye Institutes office in Columbus Ohio is open (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.).

The application process is highly competitive. Accordingly applicants should demonstrate academic excellence outstanding verbal and written communication skills strong research capabilities and a commitment to limited government and free-market public policy solutions.

To Apply

Please apply here and submit a cover letter explaining why you are interested in this position at The Buckeye Institute. If selected for an interview we will also request the following items:

Transcript (unofficial records are acceptable);
Brief legal writing sample (that has not been edited by anyone else) which can be in the form of a short paper or an excerpt from a longer paper;
Two to three references of people who have overseen your past professional work or academic research.

About Stand Together Fellowships

Learn more aboutStand Together Fellowships.

Stand Together Fellowships believes that diversity in experiences perspectives knowledge and ideas fuels creativity broadens knowledge and helps drive success. Our admissions office treats all program participantsand applicantswith honesty dignity respectand welcome all qualified applicants regardless ofcolorracereligionreligious creedsexgenderor gender identitygender expressionsexual orientation national origin citizenship ethnicity ancestry age physical disability mental disability medical condition pregnancy(including medical needs which may arise from pregnancy childbirth or related medical conditions)military andveteran statusgenetic informationmaritalor familialstatus political affiliationor any other legallyrecognized protected basis under federal state or local laws regulations or ordinances.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process such as reviewing applications analyzing resumes or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed please contact us.