China Esquire

TechSoup Global (“TSG”), where I work, is actually looking to add a Staff Attorney (Volunteer/Fellow) later this year.  Above the Law and other news outlets have been covering the news (e.g., here, here, and here) about large law firms like Skadden, Morgan Lewis, Latham & Watkins, Weil Gotshal, Orrick, White & Case, and Mayer Brown (and more!) deferring start dates and offering stipends of $60,000 to $75,000 to volunteer at a public interest first.   When the economy gives you lemons, make lemonade.  So TSG is looking at add 1-2 Staff Attorney Fellows among those who have been offered deferral stipends.

Our selling point: how many non-profit orgs can offer you a chance to work on cutting edge international legal issues, in-house counsel corporate style experience, and a good environment in a sustainable, socially-minded enterprise business model?  We’d like to think we’re the only one.  More details after the jump.

General duties may include:

•    Perform general in-house counsel type work for our organization, such as reviewing and drafting contracts, working with pro-bono counsel on international matters, and researching international law dealing with tax and non-profit organizations
•    Handle intellectual property and trademark work, such as doing trademark searches and analysis
•    Work on the NGO repository to understand 501(c)(3) tax law and equivalency internationally, and then work on basic qualifying

You may also get involved with other aspects of the organization, such as business planning and project management, depending on your interests and project availability.  So how many non-profits can offer a corporate or international tax associate this sort of experience during their deferral year?  Not many.  Come and hone your transactional skills by getting some real experience on cutting edge legal matters and international business transactions.  Help the world and build your career, instead of just doing some legal work that you might have zero interest in.

If the job isn’t good enough, here’s a little about TSG:

Founded in 1987 as The CompuMentor Project, TechSoup Global (“TSG”) is a recognized leader in bringing technological empowerment and philanthropy to social benefit organizations across the world.  TSG is a non-profit organization that serves other non-profits (in the US and globally) by making technology more accessible.  TSG works closely with Microsoft, Cisco, Symantec, and other donors to create programs where non-profits and NGOs can qualify with TSG (as a clearinghouse), and then receive donated software for a nominal administration fee.  Since its founding, TSG has helped to distribute over 1 billion dollars in software and hardware to global nonprofit and NGOs.

So what’s the catch?   Not much.  You need to be an incoming associate at a large law firm (or an associate if your firm is like Skadden and offers a Sidebar style program)  We cannot offer compensation for this position, so that deferral stipend will need to make ends meet for the year.  We’d like to get a full year commitment, from October 2009 to September 2010 (or whenever your new start date is).  You’d have to do real-world work.  Of course, if you’re already in Biglaw, I figure you’re pretty self motivated.  And finally, you’d had to live in the San Francisco Bay Area.  Somehow I can’t imagine that would be too much of a hindrance.

If you’re interested, please send an email my way to chinaesq [AT] gmail [DOT] com with resume, transcripts, and writing sample.  Feel free to spread this posting all around.  Good luck!

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