Advocates for Labor and Progressive Institutions

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A Legacy of Opportunity

In October of each year, we begin accepting applications for the Bredhoff & Kaiser Greenfield Fellowship Program, for one-year fellowships to begin in the fall of the following year. We generally make fellowship hiring decisions in the mid-December through mid-January period. Greenfield Fellows will be exposed to our national practice representing and advancing the interests of working people,and will have the opportunity to make immediate contributions on case teams handling matters of substantial importance.

About the Firm

Founded seven decades ago and located in Washington, D.C., Bredhoff & Kaiser is one of the largest firms in the country focused on representing workers and labor organizations. Our thirty lawyers represent both international and local labor unions and related organizations (such as pension and health and welfare funds), non-profits, and individuals. The firm’s lawyers practice regularly before federal and state courts at the trial and appellate levels, as well as administrative and other tribunals. Our work involves everything from RICO, antitrust, and constitutional cases to employee benefits, individual employment, tort and contract issues. We provide advice on a broad array of subjects, including employee benefits and tax matters, as well as organizing rights, labor disputes, contract negotiations, internal union matters, and other issues of institutional concern to our clients.

Fellowship Description

Bredhoff's aim is to provide our clients with the highest quality of representation to assist them in achieving their goals. Greenfield Fellows will work closely with the firm’s associates, members, and staff to make vital contributions to this effort. They will participate in cases as active members of the team and, with appropriate supervision, take on real and increasing responsibility for factual and legal case development. Salary and benefits are competitive.

Qualifications

Candidates should possess outstanding writing ability, analytical skills, and academic records. The Greenfield Fellowship best suits 3Ls and especially candidates who have a “gap year” between other commitments.

Bredhoff & Kaiser is committed to increasing the diversity of our attorneys and staff—we believe that diversity, including racial diversity, reflects our values and improves the quality of our work—and we strongly encourage applications from Black and indigenous persons and people of color, from persons identifying as LBGTQ+, and from persons with disabilities.

Application Instructions

Candidates should submit a cover letter, resume, law school transcript, substantial writing sample, and at least three references from the candidate’s academic and career experience in law. Application materials can be sent by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Preference is given to applications received by December 1.

About Douglas L. Greenfield

The Fellowship is named in honor of Bredhoff & Kaiser attorney Douglas L. Greenfield (1959-2020). During his thirty-year career at the firm, Doug earned the admiration of the American labor movement not only for his expertise in employee benefits law, but also for his creativity and judgment. His deep understanding of formidably technical matters was always coupled with an equally deep appreciation of the practical realities faced by the firm’s clients and their members.

Doug’s docket was long and his work diverse. In one of his earlier projects at B&K, Doug assisted several municipal unions in his beloved hometown of Philadelphia, when the city suffered an economic crisis and neared bankruptcy in the early 1990s. Later in his career, he pioneered innovative financing vehicles to preserve and enhance health benefits for tens of thousands of retirees in the automotive, steel, paper, and other industries, many of whom otherwise would have lost their healthcare. Throughout, he served as valued counsel to many labor organizations, pension and health funds.

Doug’s contributions were recognized not just by clients but by policymakers. In 2017, United States Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez appointed Doug to serve as a member of the ERISA Advisory Council, a body that advises the Secretary of Labor on policies and regulations affecting employee-benefit plans. Doug served as a vice-chair of the Council from 2017 to 2019.

Within the firm, countless colleagues turned to Doug for mentorship and for forthright and expert guidance at every stage in their careers. He is greatly missed, but his legacy will endure in the firm and in the fellowship program.