Fellowships 101

1. Fellowships 101 A review of different types of fellowships and the resources on how to find them

2. Fellowships at W&L Law Fellowship Advisory Group Members: Prof. George Bent Prof. Johanna Bond Prof. Joan Shaughnessy Lorri Olan Monday, October 4, 2010

3. What is a Post-Graduate Fellowship? Purpose Benefits Entry level public interest job – often very hard to get Financially assist law graduates interested in public interest or pro bono Focus on underrepresented populations and/or specific issues in certain communities Develop fellow’s professional skills and leadership in a particular legal specialty Lasts a few months to 1-2 years Significant responsibility, quickly Compensation varies Health benefits, housing allowance, loan repayment assistance Training programs and alumni networks Prestige!

4. Types of Fellowships Organizational Fellowships Project-Based and Entrepreneurial Fellowships Research/Academic Fellowships International Fellowships Firm-Sponsored Public Interest/Pro Bono Fellowships

5. Organizational Based Fellowships Defined positions within existing organizations Usually for one to two years Application is similar to applying for a typical job An organization may offer one or more fellowships each year, but there are hundreds of organizational fellowships available

6. Parameters of Organizational Fellowships Apply directly to organization Non-profit administers its own fellows No expectation that graduate will stay Rarely does an application require more than a resume, cover letter and references No need to develop an independent project

7. Organizational Based (Con’t) The Women’s Law and Public Policy Fellowship Program (http://www.wlppfp.org/) – Gtown • Awards 6-8 fellows each year • Some placed with nonprofits in DC • Issues: Reproductive rights, domestic violence, work and family, employment and sex-based discrimination, Title IX, economic self-sufficiency, gender-based asylum, rights of women with disabilities, and international human rights. • Placements may focus on policy, advocacy, outreach and education, litigation, or some combination thereof. • After barred, two year domestic violence teaching fellow ACLU (www.aclu.org) • Applied fellowship in Civil Liberties and National Security • Brennan Fellowship • Thurgood Marshall Civil Rights Fellowship • Human Rights Watch (www.hrw.org) • Four fellows chosen each year to work in DC or NYC on int’l human rights • Center for Reproductive Rights, United States Legal Fellows in NYC • Juvenile Law Center ZubrowFellowship

8. Project-Based Fellowships Funds projects that serve unmet legal needs Applicant designs project in conjunction with existing organization or seeks funding to support new organization Three-way contract Similar to applying for a Foundation Grant Program provides financial and technical support to lawyers working on innovative and effective legal projects

9. Examples of Project –Based Fellows Skadden (www.skaddenfellowships.org) funded by the firm to support its commitment to public interest work – AKA “legal peace corps” – groom new lawyers – “apprenticeship” • 25 fellowships awarded to graduating law students and outgoing judicial clerks each year • Fellows provide legal services to the poor, elderly, homeless and disabled, to those deprived of human rights or civil rights; address issues concerning economic development and community renewal. • Salary $46,000 plus benefits plus LRAP

10. Examples of Project Based (con’t) Equal Justice Works (www.equaljusticeworks.org) EJW organizes, trains and supports public service-minded law students – summer and post-grad. • 50 two-year fellowships each year; fellow must bring something new to program to distinguish themselves from staff attorneys • A project is a carefully designed initiative that involves innovative, effective legal advocacy on behalf of individuals, groups, or issues that are not adequately represented by some aspect of the legal system. Advocacy may entail a wide range of approaches, including, but not limited to, community legal education, training, and organizing; direct services; litigation; transactional work; and administrative or legislative efforts.

11. Examples of Project -Based Echoing Green (www.echoinggreen.org) • Provides social entrepreneurs, who have original and compelling ideas for driving social change, with the tools and resources to start new autonomous public service projects or organizations. • Two-year stipend of $30,000 per year (total of $60,000 over two years), health and dental insurance coverage, access to the fellowship’s network of social change makers, and technical assistance. • Stipend can be used for any purpose related to the start up of the organization or project.

12. Project Based (con’t) Soros Justice/Advocacy Fellowships (www.soros.org) • Established in 1997 by the Open Society Institute’s Center on Crime, Communities and Culture. • Designed to encourage innovative approaches to crime prevention, strengthen successful criminal justice programs already in place and promote nonpartisan debate on complex criminal justice issues such as juvenile justice and prison reform. • 10 individuals awarded $48,750 for New York City based projects over 18-month period. • Ashoka Fellowships (www.ashoka.org/home/index.cfm): • Fellowship opportunities around the world to social entrepreneurs who have new ideas to effect social change.

13. Project Based (con’t) New Voices (http://newvoices.aed.org/home.html) • solving problems and defending human rights related to the impact on the Gulf Coast of Hurricane Katrina and Rita. • 15 organizations are awarded a fellow Institute for Educational Equity and Opportunity (http://www.ifeeo.org/) • a one-year fellowship for recent law school graduates to work with a public interest educational equity project or attorney of their choice in the areas of educational equity and opportunity. • Must secure a potential position with a sponsoring attorney/organization before submitting an application for a Fellowship.

14. Research/Academic Fellowships Offers graduate the ability to learn how to teach law in a clinical setting, or work on legal research projects. Some require post-law school experience and/or Current Bar membership Strong academic record required

15. Examples of Teaching Fellowships Environmental Law Institute (www.eli.org) Gibbons Fellow in Public Interest and Constitutional Law - Seton Hall Application deadline is February for following fall. Prefer candidates with clerkship or PI experience. Georgetown University Law Center Graduate Fellowship Program for Future Law Professors Institute for Public Representation - Environmental Fellowship in DC Robert M. Cover Fellowship – 2 year position; need 5 + yrs. experience; placement in clinic with time for research and writing.

16. International Fellowships Allows recipients to work on international issues in the U.S. and abroad. Some are not legal fellowships per se but are good opportunities to work on legally-related issues through nongovernmental organizations, universities, and, in some cases, U.S. government agencies.

17. Examples of Int’l Fellowships • Fulbright – late September deadline • Amnesty International Ralph J. Bunche International Human Rights Fellowship • Human Rights Watch • ABA Rule of Law Initiatives • American Society of International Law Arthur C. Helton Fellowship –no later than January 10, 2011 • Luce Fellowship, http://www.hluce.org/lsprogram.aspx • U.S. Agency for Int’l Development Democracy Fellows http://wlid.usaid.gov/2402.htm - Nov. deadline

18. FIRM SPONSORED PUBLIC INTEREST/PRO BONO FELLOWSHIPS Defined positions w/in a law firm or a split time position Fellow spends a portion of her time in the firm and a portion working at a designated non-profit agency.

19. Types of Firm-Sponsored Fellows Law firm places fellow with a public interest organization Law Firm hires fellow to work exclusively on public interest matters at firm Public interest law firm hires fellow Resources: NALP Directory of Legal Employers and Harvard’s guide to public interest law firms

20. Firms sponsoring fellows Type 1 – Placement with organization Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobsen • 2 yrs in litigation at firm followed by 2yr fellowship with MALDEF or NAACP LDF Type 2 – Placement at firm to work pro bono Covington & Burling, DC • Designed to alleviate understaffing at Neighborhood Legal Services The Bernabei Law Firm, PLLC – DC • 1 yr civil rights litigation fellow in labor and employment law Hunton & Williams Pro Bono Fellowship – Richmond and Atlanta • 2 yr fellowship devoted to pro bono work Type 3 – Placement with public interest law firm Thomas Emerson Fellowship at David Rosen & Assocs – New Haven, CT • Usually 1yr working on civil and human rights and tort cases involving injury or death.

21. Fellowship Preparation Goals • Who do you want to work with? Juveniles, homeless, immigrants? • What do you want to do? Counseling, education, advocacy? • When do you want to start? • Where do you want to work? Where in the world? Where do you want to spend your days (courtroom, classroom, office?) • Why are you doing this – objective? • How do you like to work – multitask? Solo, group projects? • Develop a timeline to help guide you (network, course selection, job placements)

22. Research PEOPLE RESOURCES • Contact alumni and faculty with fellowship experience • Let them know your interests and ask for their ideas/contacts • Contact potential host organizations for project based proposals to discuss your ideas Start your research early, particularly for project based fellowships. Make sure the organizations or fellowships you select match with your project proposal - Review projects of current fellows to get a sense of what the funding organization likes to support Qualifications: sponsoring firms usually looking for associate hiring criteria, organizations looking for commitment to mission/experience

23. Application Prep (con’t) Deadlines– usually early Fall of third year. • Create calendar of deadlines for opportunities that interest you – include application components Application requirements: resume, transcript, personal statement and recommendations – get them done early. Opportunity to tackle a large portion of the application early and in a timely fashion. • Abide by all guidelines and instructions – more is not always better (fancy package, limit on recommendations, etc) • Paper applications – guide your readers, label with headers and sub-headings, if ask for information twice, it is for a reason. • Never underestimate the power of a personal statement • Start writing – some are long and detailed – EJW can be 12 single spaced pages.

24. Applications (con’t) Host Organization– communicate early and often • Research organizations – financially stable? Related work/expertise? • 2L summer placements are great potential host organizations • Use staff (including development folks) to assist you to identify issues, provide boilerplate language on organization’s mission for your application. • Have staff review your proposal – are there holes, do they have questions about your project or their role? Address them in the application!

25. Interviews INTERVIEW PREPARATION • Arrange mock interview with member of Advisory Group – submit proposal and lingering questions about your application before hand. • Speak with former fellows, W&L alumni and non-alumni • Research interviewers • Review application and gather new, relevant data and information • Practice, practice, practice

26. Researching Basics PSLAWNET.ORG In the fellowship corner database, click on “Search Opportunities.” Under “Job Type,” PSLawNet includes four searchable fellowship categories: • Fellowship-Law Related is for legal issues not necessarily involving direct client service. • Fellowship-Legal is for advocacy or direct legal services. • Fellowship-Nonlegalis for issues not strictly “legal,” such as public health or international relations, but for which a law degree can be helpful. • Fellowship-Sponsor is for organizations seeking candidates for project-based fellowships.

27. EJW Fellows http://www.equaljusticeworks.org/communities/participants/fellowships You can fulfill your Dreams: • Remember why you came to law school – for many it is about making the world a better place • Your law degree will open many doors for you to achieve this goal • Think about your vision, your strengths and pursue your goals

28. Resources OCP’s Public Interest Website Pslawnet.org: http://pslawnet.org/page.cfm?pageID=23 • Guide to public interest fellowship programs • Fellowship Corner • Calendar of application deadlines idealist.org http://www.idealist.org/if/i/en/av/Internship/126819-290 The Public Interest Law Initiative, www.pili.org The ABA, www.abanet.org California Legal Advocates, www.calegaladvocates.org/employment.cfm Serving the Public – two volume set (domestic and int’l fellowships) ASIL – American Society of International Law Fellowships Requirements and deadlines change ALWAYS check website for most up to date information!!!