Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County (NLSLA) created a Fellowship in which an Armenian-speaking law school graduate will focus on the legal needs of the low income Armenian-speaking community. The Dickran Tevrizian Fellowship honors retired U.S. District Court Judge Dickran Tevrizian for his lifetime of service to the Armenian American community. The Judge has been a mentor for numerous Armenian lawyers in Los Angeles and established the Dickran Tevrizian Fund at USC Law School to help disadvantaged students pursue their legal education.
This is the only fellowship anywhere dedicated to serving the Armenian-speaking Americans. Los Angeles County is home to an estimated 350,000 Armenians, the largest community outside the Republic of Armenia.
The Fellow will be housed in the NLSLA Adams Square Offices located in the City of Glendale.
JOB DESCRIPTION
As an important member of NLSLA′s advocacy team, the Dickran Tevrizian Fellow works closely with advocates throughout LA County′s Armenian American community to identify legal needs of low income Armenian Americans through research, community education and legal representation.
The Fellow fosters and strengthens relationships with community members and community based organizations and collaborates with elected officials, bar associations and Armenian community leaders. Work includes legal research, preparation of policy reports, community education and developing litigation strategies, including client representation and case management.
EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS
Applicants should be recent law school graduates or graduate by June 2011. Applicants must possess exceptional analytic and communication skills. The successful candidate will have a commitment to the low income Armenian community and devotion to social justice demonstrated through academic or community service. Proficiency in Armenian is required and applicants should be dynamic, self-motivated, and with ability to work independently as well as part of a team.
COMPENSATION
NLSLA offers a competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits package, commensurate with experience. The Fellowship is a two-year commitment, September 2011 - August 2013.
HOW TO APPLY
Applications should contain a cover letter, resume, two letters of recommendation, at least one unedited, unpublished writing sample, and an official law school transcript.
Complete applications (including transcripts and recommendations) must be postmarked no later than January 18, 2011. Interested candidates should submit application materials and inquiries to DTFellow@NLS-LA.org. Fellow selection announcement anticipated March 1, 2011.
In September 2009, Alina Azizian was named the inaugural Dickran Tevrizian Fellow and she will finish her Fellowship September 2011. After graduating from UC Berkeley with a degree in Political Science, Alina later attended Boston University School of Law where she was on the International Law Journal.
During law school Alina interned at Neighborhood Legal services of MA, working the Elder Law Project. Between college and law school she served as Executive Director of the Armenian National Committee in Glendale and worked closely with individuals and organizations seeking to enhance community life in Glendale for low income Armenians.
In just her first Fellowship year Alina has already made a difference for the Armenian-American community. Alina collaborated with the Armenian National Committee and the Armenian Bar Association to establish a free legal clinic in Glendale. She also partnered with numerous community-based organizations and city agencies including the Commission on the Status of Women, the YWCA and the Glendale Police Department to create the city′s first Domestic Violence Task Force. She has worked to establish stronger relationships with local Armenian community organizations to help increase awareness of legal issues in the community and improve access to the legal system.
