Public Service Summer Fellowships

Mission Statement

The Law Center Public Service Summer Fellowships are designed to encourage law student involvement in public service legal employment for the summer, by providing funding to subsidize unpaid work at a public service organization. Public service organizations for the purposes of this fellowship may include government, nonprofit, or judicial organizations. Students selected to receive these fellowships must meet all the criteria outlined in this brochure.

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

There will be approximately five fellowships of $1,000 each.

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:

• 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 sources 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, description of your duties, 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, for the 10-week 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

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 by the Public Service Fellowship Committee, consisting of administrators and faculty from the Shepard Broad Law Center.

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 all money awarded.

Upon completion of the employment, the student will be required to submit a report to the Public Interest Law Center by the first Friday in September, 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.

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.