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Human Rights LL.M. Fellowship

The Human Rights LL.M. Fellowship Program was established by Columbia Law School and the Human Rights Institute to support students at Columbia Law School's Master of Law (LL.M.) degree program. The successful Human Rights LL.M. Fellowship applicant is committed to human rights scholarship and/or advocacy and intends to work in the human rights field following completion of the program.  Human Rights Fellows receive funding towards tuition, room, and board for the LL.M. program at Columbia Law School.

Qualifications

The successful Human Rights LL.M. Fellowship applicant has at least two years of experience in the human rights field, is committed to human rights scholarship and/or advocacy, and intends to work in the human rights field following completion of the program. Human Rights LL.M. Fellows are expected to devote a significant part of their studies to human rights and to participate in the activities organized by the Human Rights Institute that provide forums for the exchange of ideas about human rights law, theory, and practice.

Application Procedure 

You must submit your application for the Human Rights LL.M. Fellowship along with your application for admission to the LL.M. program. Both applications should be submitted to the Office of Graduate Legal Studies (GLS) Columbia Law School. Please be sure your fellowship materials are clearly marked as such and that your name is on your essay.  The deadline for both the LL.M. and Human Rights Fellowship applications is December 15, 2009. 

The application consists of a separate, short essay (1-2 pages) describing your current and previous human rights work and goals for activity in this area for the next five years; a résumé or CV; and two letters of recommendation from professors or human rights practitioners, who can comment knowledgeably about your human rights commitment, experience and plans. (Letters of recommendation submitted for the LL.M. application should be used only if they comment on human rights work and commitment.) This material should be submitted to the Office of Graduate Legal Studies at Columbia Law School with your LL.M. application.  

For a detailed description of the Columbia Law School LL.M. Program and admission process please visit the Graduate Legal Studies web page.

For more information on how to submit your Fellowship application with the LL.M. Program please visit the Public Interest and Human Rights Programs web page and scroll down to the section on the Human Rights LL.M. Fellowship.