Human Rights Watch, a leading international human rights monitoring and advocacy organization, has created the Sandler Fellowship for a Columbia Law graduate from the J.D. program, in honor of Judge Leonard Sandler ’50. The fellow spends one year in either the New York or Washington, DC office, monitoring human rights developments in various countries, conducting onsite investigations, drafting reports on human rights conditions, and engaging in advocacy aimed at publicizing and curtailing human rights violations. Applications for 2026 are due October 14, 2025. View Sandler Fellowship FAQs. Open solely to the Columbia Law School J.D. Classes of 2026 and some Columbia Law School graduates. Please review the application (when available) for more information on graduate eligibility.
2026 Sandler Fellowship Application