2025 Theme: International Law: Comparative Voices and Viewpoints
Thursday, February 20 – Saturday, February 22, 2025 (Washington, DC)
Additional dates TBD – orientation and keynote panel (online)
View the 2025 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 and a subsequent session will be held online, on dates to be determined. Students gather in Washington, DC on Thursday evening, February 20 for a welcome event and then meet over two intensive days on Friday, February 21 and Saturday, February 22. Top law faculty and peers from 14 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 and public service. Fellows also enjoy keynote addresses by renowned public servants.
How To Apply
HLS 2L, 3L and LL.M. students should submit application materials in PDF format by 5:00 pm on Friday, November 15, 2024 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 2025 program is International Law: Comparative Voices and Viewpoints.
Students’ areas of interest should fit in one of these major areas:
- international human rights and humanitarian law
- international and national security law
- international environmental and climate law and policy
- international courts and tribunals
- international finance, investment, monetary and trade law
- the foreign relations law of various domestic 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).