Organization-Based Fellowships
Public Service Venture Fund Organization Based (Org-Based) Fellowships are fully-funded fellowships intended to help launch students’ public interest careers at the public service organization of their choice that otherwise is not hiring at the entry-level.
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Applicant Eligibility
Any 3L and Judicial Law Clerk, provided that they have not worked at another organization prior to clerking may apply for a fellowship at an existing nonprofit or government agency.
Up to four spots are open to LL.M. and S.J.D. students. Because the mission of the PSVF is to provide opportunities for HLS students/graduates who are trying to launch their public interest careers but have not yet been able to do so on their own, LL.M.s are eligible to apply if the student obtained:
- An LL.B. (or equivalent) less than five years before May 1st of the year the student matriculated at Harvard Law School.
OR
- An LL.B. (or an equivalent) plus an Advanced Law Degree (e.g., a J.D. or an LL.M.) less than two years before May 1st of the year the student matriculated at Harvard Law School. For purposes of determining eligibility, post-LL.B. bar training certificates (e.g., B.L. or PCLL) do not count as “Advanced Law Degrees.”
Exception: LL.M. applicants from countries where the legal system is in such turmoil that they could not acquire legal experience will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Requests for exceptions should be submitted well in advance of the application deadline (no less than a month) to shabecof@law.harvard.edu as they need to be vetted by a committee of experts.
Host organizations must comply with the PSVF Organization-Based Fellowship Host Organization Guidelines.
Students can apply to be staff attorneys at their host organization or can propose a specialized project.
Those eligible for both the Organization-Based Fellowships and the Seed Grants may apply for both, submitting a separate application for each fellowship.
Selection Criteria
The selection process consists of an online application, followed by interviews for those selected as finalists. We highly recommend that you discuss your proposed placement/project with a member of the OPIA staff before applying and meet with a member of the OPIA staff for interviewing practice and feedback prior to one’s PSVF interview. Ultimately, preparedness for the interview is the responsibility of the applicant. Fellowship recipients will then be selected based on the following criteria:
- Potential for an outstanding career in public service
- The extent to which prior experiences have prepared the applicant for the proposed placement
- Appropriateness of the position as a career launcher (i.e., whether or not the proposed position would likely lead to more permanent employment, either with the host organization or through networking done with the help of the host organization)
- The extent of prior efforts to secure funding or other postgraduate jobs before applying for the PSVF (documented in the Prior Efforts section of the Organization-Based Fellowship Application).
If a student intends to limit their job search geographically for family or personal reasons, that student is required to meet with OPIA staff prior to applying in order to discuss his or her search, intended to put the student in the best possible position to succeed in the application process and to provide guidance to the student on the appropriate scope of the job search given family or personal circumstances. The consultation meeting is mandatory, and failure to schedule it will mean that your application will not be considered for a PSVF fellowship.
Because students sometimes have family or personal reasons to limit the geographic scope of their search, the PSVF selection committee will consider – together with all other factors in the student’s application – the breadth and assiduousness of the candidate’s job search prior to applying, and any reasons for limiting the scope of that search. To the extent guidance is provided at the consultation meeting regarding the appropriate scope of the applicant’s job search, the applicant’s efforts to implement that guidance may also be considered by the PSVF committee in making grant determinations. The PSVF is not, however, bound by any guidance provided by OPIA.
There is no preference for work on a particular issue. Among competing applicants, the PSVF prioritizes projects that address the greatest need and/or possess the greatest potential for impact. In previous years, between 15 and 20 of these fellowships were awarded per application cycle.
Timeline
- Online application due: March 1, 2018 at noon
- Interviews: April 2018
- Announcement of recipients: mid-May 2018
Potential applicants seeking positions in underserved jurisdictions, whose final bar deadlines fall before the mid-May 2017 announcement of recipients, may apply for the Early Decision Fellowship for Underserved Jurisdictions. The timeline of this fellowship is dependent on the bar deadline, with applications due at least one month prior to the late filing deadline. Applicants should alert Alexa Shabecoff of their intent to apply as soon as they decide to apply, so that the selection committee meeting can be scheduled.
Funding
Organization-Based Fellowships provide $45,000 in salary support for one year’s work at a nonprofit organization or government agency. Health care and other benefits must either be provided by the sponsoring organization or covered by the individual. Health care coverage is required during the fellowship year.
Applicants are highly encouraged to apply to all funding sources available to them. If a candidate receives another fellowship for an amount less than what PSVF would provide, and is also a successful PSVF candidate, PSVF may provide partial funding to make up for that discrepancy.
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Questions about the PSVF should be directed to Alexa Shabecoff, Chair of the Venture Fund and OPIA Director. For advice about the application process, contact Judy Murciano, OPIA’s Associate Director and Director of Fellowships.