Job’o’th’Week (Fellowship Edition)
The Organization
Social Justice Initiatives (SJI) provides career services and programming for students and graduates interested in public interest, international human rights, public service/government, and legal volunteer work. SJI also implements and oversees Columbia Law School’s Pro Bono Program, which connects students with attorney-supervised projects in the public good, as well as the Law School’s Guaranteed Summer Funding Program.
The Position
Columbia Law School is pleased to offer Public Interest and Government Fellowships (“Fellowships”) for J.D. graduates of ABA-accredited law schools interested in beginning their careers in public interest law, including human rights, or in government service. 1 The Fellowships serve two important purposes. First, they allow graduates to gain the experience, skills, and professional networks they need to obtain permanent paid positions in their fields. Second, they enable public interest organizations and government agencies confronting great demand and diminished resources to benefit from the services of talented lawyers.
To be considered for a Fellowship, applicants must first obtain a written commitment by a “qualified host” to provide meaningful legal work and supervision. A qualified host is a public interest organization or government agency (federal, state, local, multinational, or international) that commits, contingent upon the applicant’s receipt of a Fellowship, to:
- Provide the applicant with a position for a one-year period that will require the use of his or her legal education
- Provide appropriate training and supervision during the fellowship period
- Consider the fellow for an appropriate permanent full-time paid position if applicable funding becomes available
The J.D. Public Interest and Government Fellowships pay a stipend of $40,000 for one year of fulltime work. Fellows must commit to work full-time at their host (at least 35 hours per week) for twelve consecutive months.
See the full post on PSJD: https://www.psjd.org/opportunitydetails?OppID=91383