The Rebecca Knox Public Interest Law Summer Fellowship

Mission Statement

Nova Southeastern University's Public Interest Law Society is a student-run organization founded in 1994 to promote public interest legal employment opportunities and to overcome the economic barriers that confront future public interest lawyers. The purpose of this fellowship is to provide funding to students who serve community needs by working in a legal position in the public interest field. Public interest work is defined, for the purposes of this fellowship, as work for a nonprofit organization that serves a low-income, underfunded and/or underrepresented community. Preference will be given to students who choose to work for Legal Aid or Legal Services agencies. Students selected for these fellowships will positively reflect the goals and objectives of the Public Interest Law Society and the Shepard Broad Law Center, and will have demonstrated an interest in serving the public interest community.

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 pro bono placement at a public service organization for a minimum of 20 hours per week and 200 total hours. Students must have at least a 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. However, students who volunteer in excess of the required 200 hours may apply for pro bono credit for those additional hours.

Amount of Award

The stipend amounts will depend on the number of applicants, the availability of additional funding to the applicant, and the amount of funds raised during the annual PILS Auction.

Application Requirements

All items below must be received in a timely fashion. No exceptions will be made.

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

• Name, NSU ID 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 reflect any prior commitment to the public interest law community, other community involvement, reason for wanting to work with the current organization, and any other factors pertinent to the application.

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.

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.

Decision Committee

Applications will be reviewed by a committee composed of the executive board of the Public Interest Law Society working with at least one faculty member or administrator. Student ID numbers, transcripts, and financial data will be reviewed only by a faculty member and/or administrator.

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.

Responsibilities of Fellowship 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 the money awarded.

At the completion of employment, the student is required to submit a one- to two-page report to the Public Interest Law Center by the first Friday in September, documenting the fellowship experience. The student also must obtain a letter from the employer confirming that the student has satisfactorily fulfilled the terms of the employment.

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, located in the Career Development Office.

Rebecca Knox graduated from the Law Center in May of 2004.  While at NSU she was president of the Public Interest Law Society.  She also performed over 780 hours of pro bono service at Coast to Coast Legal Aid of South Florida, where she later became an attorney representing victims of domestic violence.  Rebecca passed away on August 20, 2006.  This fellowship is supported by donations in her memory.