Columbia public interest students do very well when it come 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 do public interest work in the United States or abroad.
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Fellowships for Columbia Graduates
HUMAN RIGHTS FELLOWSHIPS
The Henkin-Stoffel Human Rights Fellowship honors Professor Louis Henkin and his commitment to the continued development of human rights law. This fellowship was designed by Dr. Marco Stoffel, whose foundation dedicated the fellowship in admiration of Prof. Henkin's leadership in the field of human rights and recognition of Columbia Law School as a center of excellence in human rights education. This annual Fellowship will enable a Columbia Law School graduate (both J.D.s and LL.M.s are eligible) to spend two years working in human rights law -- one year in the United States and the other in another country -- to pursue a career as a legal practitioner specializing in human rights work.
This fellowship will not be offered in 2009.
The David W. Leebron Human Rights 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.
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.
Cochran, Neufeld & Scheck, a public interest law firm in New York City, offers an exclusive two-year 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, a 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 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 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 2009. More information will be available next year.
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 2009.
Public Service 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.
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 be offered in 2008.
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 2009.
Strine LRAP Fellowship One fellowship per year is awarded to a graduate pursuing Native American law.
