2026 Theme – Disruption and Renewal: Charting the Future of International Rule of Law, Democracy, and Pluralism
Wednesday, January 21, 2026 – orientation (online)
Thursday, February 5 – Saturday, February 7, 2026 (Washington, DC)
View the 2026 Salzburg Cutler Fellows Program brochure here.
What is the Fellowship?
The Salzburg Global Seminar is an independent non-profit designed to create future leaders. HLS participates annually in its Salzburg Cutler Fellows Program, which brings together more than 50 of the nation’s top law students with leading academics and practitioners in the fields of private and public international law. The program offers J.D. and LL.M. students opportunities to obtain feedback on academic work and career advice from established international law scholars and practitioners, and to continue building a network of individuals interested in careers in international practice and public service.
Program Format and Dates
In advance of the program’s kick-off, each student prepares a research paper on a key international law topic. The initial session will be held online on January 21. Students gather in Washington, DC on Thursday evening, February 5 for a welcome event and then meet over two intensive days on Friday, February 6 and Saturday, February 7. Top law faculty and peers from 15 leading institutions review each paper in a workshop setting and offer advice on improving arguments and moving papers toward publication. Lawyers and other mentors in public service meet with Fellows to discuss traditional and non-traditional pathways into careers in international law. Fellows also enjoy a keynote address by a renowned individual.
How To Apply
HLS 2L, 3L and LL.M. students should submit application materials in PDF format by 5:00 pm on Monday, November 10, 2025 via email to International Legal Studies (ils@law.harvard.edu). Materials should include:
- A cover letter explaining your background and interest in the Salzburg Cutler Fellows Program. Please note the name of your faculty supervisor for your paper.
- A resume or CV
- An unofficial HLS transcript
- A 5-8 page executive summary of the paper that you would like to present. The theme for the 2026 program is Disruption and Renewal: Charting the Future of International Rule of Law, Democracy, and Pluralism.
Students’ areas of interest and paper topics should be in international, transnational, or comparative law and may include one of these areas:
- international human rights and humanitarian law
- national security law
- international environmental and climate law and policy
- international courts and tribunals
- international finance, investment, monetary and trade law
- international technology and artificial intelligence law
- the comparative law of other legal systems
Students are encouraged to submit an abstract for an article or paper that is in development for other purposes (e.g., seminar papers, independent study, or law review notes). Articles/papers should be academically oriented. In addition to the executive summary, students may submit a copy of their draft paper.
Selection is based on a combination of commitment to international law and academic promise. A maximum of four HLS students will be nominated. Selected participants will receive some funding to defray travel expenses.
Questions?
Please direct questions to International Legal Studies (ils@law.harvard.edu).