The Harvard Law School Writing Center invites current 1L and 2L J.D. students to apply for Writing Fellowships. The HLS Writing Fellows are a community of 10 exceptional upper-level J.D. writers who contribute to the culture of writing at Harvard Law School. Writing Fellows staff the HLS Writing Center, where they offer one-on-one consultations to J.D. students, research the craft of legal writing, design special events, and create practical guides for legal research and writing. An HLS Writing Fellowship is a good fit for you if:
- You’re a good writer who wants to become an outstanding writer.
- You have a background or future in teaching or writing.
- You want to gain experience coaching others on their writing in preparation for collaboration and leadership roles in the practice of law.
- You want to research and study scholarship on the craft of legal writing.
- You want to work with experienced authors to prepare and submit your writing for publication.
Responsibilities
Writing Fellows average five to eight working hours per week over the academic year. Fellows are expected to:
- Attend several orientation sessions in the first few weeks of the Fall semester.
- Conduct one-on-one consulting sessions with peers (in-person and remote).
- Attend monthly all-Fellows conversations about legal writing.
- Offer feedback and advice to the Director of the Writing Center and other Writing Fellows on new ideas and programs.
And Writing Fellows will have opportunities to:
- Research and study scholarship on the craft of legal writing.
- Develop new writing guides and resources to aid legal writers.
- Propose and plan special events with guest speakers.
- Prepare and submit their writing for publication in legal journals or public newspapers and magazines under guidance from the Director of the Writing Center.
About the HLS Writing Center
Established in 2024, the HLS Writing Center curates a culture of writing at Harvard Law School and helps students and faculty with their writing for courses and publications.
Compensation
Writing Fellows receive $21 per hour, the standard rate of pay for Teaching Fellows and Research Assistants.
To Apply
Applications are due by April 24, 2026 (the last day of Spring classes). Please submit (1) letter of interest, (2) resume, (3) unofficial transcript, and (4) writing sample that is a research paper on any topic to Dr. Jeffrey R. Wilson, Director of the HLS Writing Center, at hlswritingcenter@law.harvard.edu. Your letter may include previous teaching or work experience, whether in writing or another subject, and describe potential ideas, events, or publications that you might work on as a Writing Fellow.
Interviews for the Writing Fellowships will take place in June, and decisions will arrive in July.