Fellowships

There are a variety of different kinds of public interest fellowships available to graduating law students and recent graduates. A "fellowship" is generally thought of as a one- to two-year term of employment at a public interest organization that is funded by the organization or another group, such as Equal Justice Works, or even a law firm, such as the Skadden Fellowship.

The following is a listing of fellowships that are usually available annually. The most common application deadline is in the summer or fall, for a position beginning at the end of the following summer. So, if you are going to be a 3L, it is important to start looking for fellowships at the end of your 2L year, through the summer and into your 3L year.

This list is not exhaustive, it is compiled from information sent to us by fellowship sponsors. Students should also contact organizations they are interested in working for to see if they have their own sources of fellowship funding. More postings can be found at:

Annual Fellowships

Fellowships Classes Approximate Deadlines
The links provided below will take you directly to fellowship announcements, or to the organization's home page.   Check the websites below or PSLawNet for current deadlines. For remaining questions, contact the organization directly.
The ABA Section of Antitrust Law Fellowship
1Ls, 2Ls, 3Ls, LLMs April
Abramson Foundation Fellowship
2009-2010 fellowship program suspended. Check back in the Summer of 2010.
3Ls, Grads August
ACLU John Caughlan Summer Fellowship 2Ls, 3Ls January
ACLU of Illinois RBF Law Fellowship Initiative 3Ls, Grads Early Fall
ACLU of Illinois Paid Internship 1Ls, 2Ls, 3Ls Rolling
ACLU Legal Fellowships Listing 3Ls, Grads Varies by Fellowship
Africa Public Interest Law Fellowship (APILF) 1Ls, 2Ls April
American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations 1Ls, 2Ls 2Ls-October, 1Ls-January
American India Foundation Service Corps Fellowship 1Ls, 2Ls, Grads February
Anapata Law Student Fellowship 3Ls April
Arthur C. Helton Fellowship (Int'l Law) 1Ls, 2Ls, 3Ls, Recent Grads February
Asia Health Law Fellowship (AHLP) 1Ls, 2Ls April
Asian Law Caucus Fellowship Recent graduates, judicial law clerks, new attorneys July
Barton Child Law and Policy Clinic Fellows Program 3Ls, Recent Grads Open Until Filled
Berkeley Law Foundation (BLF) – One-Year Public Interest Law Grant 3Ls, Recent Grads January
Bernstein Fellowship 3Ls, Recent Grads February
The Bonderman Travel Fellowships All Students February
Bristow Fellowship 3Ls, Grads October
California Senate Fellowship Program 3Ls, Recent Grads February
The Center for Reproductive Rights - Columbia Law School Fellowship ("CRR-CLS Fellowship") Grads February
Christopher B. Duro Graduate Fellowship see fellowship description May
Christine Mirzayan Science & Technology Policy Graduate Fellowship Program 1Ls, 2Ls, 3Ls, Recent Grads May for Fall, November for Winter
Clifton W. Everett, Sr. Community Lawyer Fellowships 3Ls, Grads November
Domestic Violence Fellowship 3Ls, Grads November
DRI Law Student Diversity Scholarship 2Ls, 3Ls May
Equal Justice Works Fellowship 3Ls, Recent Grads September
Esther Peterson Fellowship 3Ls, Grads November
Federal Circuit Bar Association's Scholarships 1Ls, 2Ls April
Federal Defenders of Eastern WA Attorney Fellowship 3Ls, Recent Grads February
Fried Frank Fellowships (2) 3Ls, Recent Grads November
Giles S Rich and William S Bullinger Scholarship 1Ls, 2Ls April
George Hutchinson Writing Competition 1Ls, 2Ls, 3Ls June
The George N. Lindsay Civil Rights Legal Fellowship 3Ls, Recent Grads August
Georgetown Clinical Fellowship in Asylum Law 3Ls, Grads December
Georgetown University’s Institute for Public Representation Clinical Fellowships (Civil Rights, Communications, or Environmental Law) 3Ls, Grads December
Georgetown University Law Center’s Fellowship Programs (listing) 3Ls, Grads Varies by Fellowship
GO Health Fellowship (Global Opportunities Health Fellowship) 1Ls, 2Ls, 3Ls May
Greenwall Fellowship Program in Bioethics and Health Policy 3Ls, Recent Grads December
Human Rights Watch Fellowships in International Human Rights (3) 3Ls, Recent Grads September
Initiative for Public Interest Law at Yale, Inc. 3Ls, Grads February
Independence Foundation Fellowship 3Ls, Grads September
The Jesse Marvin Unruh Assembly Fellowship Program 1Ls, 2Ls, 3Ls, Grads February
Joan Fitzpatrick Fellowship 1Ls, 2Ls, Continuing 3Ls April
John J. Curtin Jr.Summer Fellowship (Commission on Homelessness and Poverty) All Students March
Judicial Administration Fellowship Program 3Ls, 2Ls, 3Ls, Grads February
Juvenile Law Center Zubrow Fellowship 3Ls, Recent Grads October
Legal Services of NJ Summer Fellowship 1L & 2Ls October
Lisa Kernan Social Justice Fellowship All Students May
Marc Hershman Marine Policy Fellowship 1Ls, 2Ls, 3Ls, Recent Grads April
Michael F. Vaccaro Honors Attorney Fellowship with the EPA 3Ls, Recent Grads February
Ms. JD Fellowship 2Ls April
The Murnaghan Fellowship Recent Grads (post-clerkship) October
NAPABA Partners Community Law Fellowship 1Ls, 2Ls September
National Bureau of Asian Research 3Ls, Grads December
National Center on Philanthropy and the Law (NCPL) Fellowship in Nonprofit Law 1Ls, 2Ls, 3Ls, Grads Varies-contact the organization for details
National Housing Law Project 1Ls, 2Ls, 3Ls and Recent Grads Rolling deadline—contact the organization for details
The Next Generation Leadership in Asian Affairs Fellowship 3Ls, Recent Grads January
New York State Assembly Internship 1Ls, 2Ls, 3Ls, Recent Grads October
The NLG Haywood Burns Memorial Fellowships for Social and Economic Justice 1Ls, 2Ls, 3Ls February
Perkins Coie Patent Law Student Fellowship 1Ls August
The Polikoff-Gautreaux Fellowship Recent Grads October
Presidential Management Fellowship 3Ls October
Pride Law Fund Summer Fellowships 1Ls, 2Ls, 3Ls April
Public Policy Research Fellowship at the Williams Project 3Ls, Recent Grads April
Relman Civil Rights Fellowship (PDF) 3Ls, Recent Grads October
Reproductive Justice Fellowship 3Ls, Recent Grads May
Rockefeller Brothers Fund Fellowship in Nonprofit Law 3Ls, Recent Grads December
Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Law Fellowship 3Ls, Recent Grads December
Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger Fellowship (environmental law) 3Ls, Recent Grads November
Skadden Fellowship 3Ls, Recent Grads October
Soros Fellowships 3Ls, Grads Varies by Fellowship
Southen Poverty Law Center Two-Year Legal Fellowship 3Ls, Recent Grads December
State of California, Executive Fellowship Program 1Ls, 2Ls, 3Ls, Grads February
Supreme Court Assistance Project Fellowship 3Ls, Grads December
Supreme Court Fellows Program 3Ls, Grads November
Thurgood Marshall Civil Rights Fellowship 3Ls, Recent Grads November
Tom Steel Fellowship 3Ls, Recent Grads April
Vietnamese American Bar Association - Hong Duc Student Clerkship 1L, 2L, 3L February
Women’s Law and Public Policy Fellowship Program 3Ls, Grads November

Last updated 5/17/2011