The Martin E. Feinrider Summer Fellowship for International Human Rights

Mission Statement

The Feinrider Summer Fellowship is designed to provide funding for law students who are spending the summer working for a nonprofit public interest organization devoted to international human rights. Students selected to receive these fellowships must meet all the criteria outlined in this brochure, including the evaluation of the significance and clarity of the proposed project, the student's ability to meaningfully complete the work, and the student's financial need.

Student Eligibility

This fellowship is open to first- and second-year (and third-year evening) law students enrolled at the Shepard Broad Law Center. In order to be considered for the fellowship, students must first make arrangements for a placement at a nonprofit public interest organization devoted to international human rights. Such placement should be for full-time employment, for at least a two-month period; however, part-time work may fulfill this requirement in certain cases. Students must have a minimum 2.0 grade point average when they apply and when the fellowship begins in order to receive a fellowship award. Students receiving academic credit for their work are not eligible. Students may not receive pro bono credit for their fellowship work.

Amount of Award

The fellowship amounts awarded will generally range from $1,000 to $2,000, depending upon student financial need and the number of fellowships offered. The Feinrider Committee reserves the right to not award any fellowships to preserve the integrity of the program.

Application Requirements

The application must be fully completed and submitted in a timely fashion. No exceptions will be made.

The application consists of all of the following:

1. A cover letter to the committee indicating the following:

• Name, Social Security Number, and anticipated date of graduation
• Address and telephone number and summer address and telephone number, if different
• Expected place of employment and number of hours per week you intend to work
• Any additional source of funding you are applying for/expect to receive for your work

2. Current resume


3. One- to two-page statement explaining why you believe you should receive the stipend. This statement should describe your enthusiasm for and demonstrated commitment to human rights work and to issues of social justice. The letter should also include a specific description of the organization for which you intend to work and description of the work project contemplated.

4. Letter or written statement of verification from expected employer, detailing the job description and verifying that you have been hired or are currently being considered for the available position for the two-month summer period.

5. A statement describing your financial need, including debts incurred, means by which you are paying for your legal education, and any other proposed sources of funding.

Responsibilities of the Scholarship Recipient

Students who receive fellowships must fulfill the terms of employment as submitted in the application. If a student does not complete such terms, he or she will be required to repay all money awarded. Upon completion of the employment, the student will be required to submit a report by the first Friday in September, to the Feinrider Fellowship Committee, describing and evaluating his or her experiences. In addition, by that date, the student must submit a letter from the organization certifying that the proposed work was successfully completed. Fellowship recipients should also be prepared to speak about their experiences to interested groups of fellow law students.

Deadline

The deadline for submitting a completed application is the first Friday in April. Please submit completed applications directly to the Public Interest Law Center, located in Career Development.

Applications will be reviewed and evaluated for significance and clarity by the Feinrider Fellowship Committee, consisting of faculty and administrators from the Shepard Broad Law Center.

Additional Information and Assistance in Finding a Summer Placement

For resource materials for finding a summer placement, and counseling regarding this and other public interest law opportunities, please visit the Public Interest Law Center, Professor Jim Wilets, or Professor Doug Donoho. Successful placements include a wide variety of organizations, such as those handling immigration and political asylum claims, the United Nations, the Inter-American Court for Human Rights in Costa Rica, Amnesty International, or international human rights groups in the United States or other countries.

Professor Feinrider, who served on the Law Center faculty from 1980 until his tragic death in 1986, was an outspoken scholar and activist in the field of international law, known particularly for his commitment to the promotion of human rights and the elimination of nuclear weaponry.