Columbia public interest students do very well when it comes to receiving highly selective fellowships. They usually are among the few who are selected for positions in the Department of Justice Honors Program, prestigious clerkships, and other highly competitive public interest jobs throughout the United States and the world.
In addition, successful Columbia graduates and faculty and their firms, families, and friends have demonstrated that public interest law is at the core of the Law School's values by creating fellowships that allow other Columbia graduates to pursue public interest careers. Fellowships allow graduates and current CLS students to do public interest work in the United States or abroad.
The Fellowship is a competitive, two-year program for recent Law School graduates, in which Fellows will work closely with Landesa staff to enhance their understanding of legal systems and customary rights, as well as the socio-economic conditions and institutions that shape women’s land rights; gain practical experience designing, implementing, and evaluating projects to protect or improve women’s rights to land; acquire and develop complementary skills that will enable them to work more effectively; and, network with professionals and organizations doing related development work. Fellows will be based in Seattle, USA, but we expect the appointment to include extended periods of fieldwork in developing countries. Application is dueMAY 9, 2011.
Rural Land Rights in China Fellowship at the Rural Development Institute This two-year fellowship will provide the opportunity for a recent J.D. or LLM graduate of Columbia Law School to gain the expertise and experience needed to work with policymakers and non-governmental organizations in China, and the international donor community to effectively advocate for and obtain secure land rights for the 220 million farm families in rural China. Please note that this two year fellowship, which is offered every other year, will not be offered in 2011.
David W. Leebron Human Rights Fellowship
This fellowship honors the Law School's former Dean (1996-2004) and his commitment to providing meaningful experiences in human rights law. This annual Fellowship will enable a Columbia Law School graduate to spend one year working in human rights either in the United States or abroad, in pursuit of a career in human rights law, whether in academic life; in governmental, intergovernmental or nongovernmental organizations or agencies; or as legal practitioners specializing in human rights work.
Sandler Fellowship
Human Rights Watch, a leading international human rights monitoring and advocacy organization, has created the Sandler Fellowship for a Columbia Law graduate from the JD program in honor of Judge Leonard Sandler ’50. The Fellow will spend one year in either the New York City or Washington DC office monitoring human rights developments in various countries, conducting on-site investigations, drafting reports on human rights conditions, and engaging in advocacy aimed at publicizing and curtailing human rights violations.
Greater China Public Interest Fellowship
The Greater China Public Interest Fellowship is designed to provide meaningful opportunities in public interest law in greater China. For the 2011-2012 academic year, the Greater China Public Interest Fellowship will be awarded to one Columbia Law School J.D. or LL.M. graduate who is a member of the Class of 2012 or a recent graduate (members of the Class of 2011 or 2010) to spend one year working with a public interest organization in China. Applicants must have strong Chinese language skills. Proposals are due by January 31, 2012. For more details, please consult the full fellowship description document linked to below.
Chadbourne & Parke/The Door Legal Services Center
For this fellowship, Chadbourne & Parke sponsors a fellow to work on-site at The Door for a period of approximately 16 months. Located in SoHo, The Door is New York's premier youth development agency, and serves young people, aged 12-21 year, primarily from low-income families. Applications are due to Tanya Greene at SJI by September 27 at 3:00 p.m. The application consists of a cover letter, resume and transcript (either official or unofficial).
Cochran Civil Rights Fellowship Neufeld Scheck & Brustin, LLP, a public interest law firm in New York City, offers an exclusive two-year Cochran Civil Rights Fellowship to a Columbia Law graduate to litigate civil rights and constitutional cases that promote systemic reforms in police departments and other large private and public institutions throughout the United States.
Goldstein, Demchak, Baller, Borgen & Dardarian Fellowship
This civil rights law firm in Oakland, California, offers a two-year fellowship exclusively to a Columbia Law graduate to litigate plaintiffs' complex class-action cases, including employment discrimination, wage and hour disputes, and disability access cases.
Kirkland & Ellis New York City Public Service Fellowship
Kirkland & Ellis offers the Kirkland & Ellis New York City Public Service Fellowship to "give something back" to the community and to enhance its relationship with Columbia Law School. The Fellowship provides one Columbia student the opportunity for a year of postgraduate public service that meets serious human needs in New York City.
Equal Justice America Fellowship
EJA offers a 2-year legal services fellowship to a Columbia Law graduate to work with a civil legal assistance program serving low-income communities anywhere in the United States. Offered every other year beginning 2008.
*This fellowship is not offered in 2011. More information will be available next year.*
The CRR-CLS Fellowship The Center for Reproductive Rights and Columbia Law School offer a two-year, post-graduate fellowship designed to prepare recent law school graduates for legal academic careers in reproductive health and human rights. Fellows will be affiliated with the Center and the Law School and will participate in the intellectual life of both programs. The CRR-CLS Fellowship is a full-time, residential fellowship for up to two full years starting in July 2010.
Enhanced LRAP Fellowships are awarded to students who have demonstrated dedication to and exceptional promise for leadership in public interest law. These fellowships cover all loans up to the cost of law school tuition for Fellows whose annual income does not exceed $100,000, and the schedule of forgiveness is accelerated beyond that of the typical LRAP arrangement.
Currently four types of fellowships are available: Lowenstein Fellowships, endowed by a faculty member, are designated for at least four incoming students each year. Dean's Public Interest Fellows are designed for two incoming students each year. Bernstein Litowitz Berger & Grossman LLP Fellowships, from the law firm of the same name, are granted to a graduate pursuing anti-discrimination work, as is the Berger Fellowship. Strine Fellowships are granted to a graduate pursuing Native American law.
Lowenstein Enhanced LRAP Fellowship
Endowed by Professor Louis Lowenstein and his wife Helen, at least four fellowships per year are awarded to outstanding graduates pursuing any type of public interest law, including government service.
Berger LRAP Fellowship
Endowed by Max W. Berger ’71 and Dale Berger, one fellowship is awarded to a graduate pursuing anti-discrimination work. This fellowship will not be offered in 2011.
Bernstein LRAP Fellowship
The Bernstein Litowitz Berger & Grossmann LLP Fellowship (Bernstein Fellowship) will be awarded to one Columbia Law School graduate who whose career and first post-graduate job (other than a judicial clerkship) will be substantially devoted to using the law to fight racial, gender and/or other discrimination. This fellowship will be offered in 2011.
Strine LRAP Fellowship One fellowship per year is awarded to a graduate pursuing Native American law.
