Fellowship Tips

The International Legal Studies Postgraduate Fellowships fund a recent HLS graduate to clerk or intern in an international or foreign/supernational court or tribunal. Applicants should highlight their demonstrated interest in international or transnational law and how this fellowship would be significant for their career trajectory. If an applicant is unsure regarding eligibility of their host, they are encouraged to contact Andre Barbic (abarbic@law.harvard.edu) at ILS. Applicants are also advised to make a Fellowship Advising appointment.

The DAG Fellowship seeks students and clerks with a commitment to community/movement lawyering demonstrated through clinical work and organizing. Project proposals should highlight innovative, impactful, sustainable social justice change and community buy-in. 

Besides acquiring a host letter from a non-profit organization, applicants should choose 2 letters of recommendation: preferably at least one from Harvard clinical faculty. Sign up for a Fellowship Advising appointment in advance of submission to CARAT. 

The CGS Traveling Fellowship looks for strong research skills and focused, purposeful travel anywhere in the world driven by a clear methodology to address significant questions, conducting studies and practice critical to applicant’s career development. It is restricted to J.D.s and S.J.D.s due to graduate in 2025. One application for the 3 fellowships: Knox is only for a UK/Commonwealth country. Kennedy/Sheldon can go to more than one country. Applicants should choose their 2 letters of recommendation from Harvard faculty. This application requires a Fellowship Advising appointment in advance of submission to CARAT.

Jonathan W. Cuneo COSAL/Justice Catalyst Fellowship

The COSAL enforces anti-trust laws to promote class equity by holding large corporations accountable and stemming anti-competitive practices that harm consumers and small businesses. Applicants must contact one of the preferred law firm host(s) before applying. Sign up for advising with Judy Murciano by making a Fellowship appointment.

The Harvard Law Review Fellowship supports recent Harvard Law School graduates with a demonstrated interest in serving the public through their work and scholarship. It enables fellows to spend a year working in a public interest-related role at a government agency or nonprofit organization. Each fellow will receive a $65,000 stipend. At the end of the fellowship year, each fellow writes a piece of legal scholarship that draws on the fellow’s work during their fellowship year that is published in the Law Review’s online Forum. Emphasize a project that engages a compelling Theory of Law and a writing sample that illustrates strong research and writing skills. Sign up for advising with Judy Murciano by making a Fellowship appointment. 

Emphasize the need for launching an ambitious but feasible non-profit that is scalable and sustainable to meet an unmet need with a Theory of Change.

Environmental litigation focused, this two-year fellowship for HLS puts a lot of weight on the writing sample as evidence of strong research and legal analytical skills. Fellows are expected to indicate their preference for NRDC in NY, CA, DC, or IL and sit for the bar in that state before beginning the fellowship. The cover letter is usually a couple of pages and recommendations are scrutinized. Interviews often discuss the writing sample and complex or special litigation experience. Sign up for advising with Judy Murciano by making a Fellowship appointment. 

This two-year fellowship conducts high impact litigation and advocacy through four main projects: Access to Justice in the civil court system such as forced arbitration or limits on collective action; Debtors’ Prison to combat criminalization of poverty; Students’ Civil Rights Project to end discrimination and seek systemic change in school settings; Environmental Enforcement to hold corporations accountable for enforcing environmental state and federal laws. Emphasis on strong research and writing skills, experience with litigation, and agility working across civil rights issue areas with diverse individuals and teams under time pressure. 

Immigrant Justice Corps. Demonstrate a strong commitment to immigration work and policy reform. Highlight proficiency in languages other than English, cultural competence, trauma-sensitive interview skills, and direct representation. Mention stakeholders, movement lawyering, and collaborative work in high pressured settings with diverse individuals and age groups. Indicate readiness to take the bar. Contact your top-choice organizations to express interest. Sign up for advising with Judy Murciano by making a Fellowship appointment.

Fellows work on human rights issues in the U.S. by alternating between one year at Human Rights Watch and one year at the ACLU. Strong research, writing, legal analytical skills. Experience with trauma-sensitive interviews, media, and press releases. Exposure to complex litigation. Must be able to practice in U.S. during the two-year fellowship. Preference for applicants with knowledge of a foreign language. Sign up for advising with Judy Murciano by making a Fellowship appointment. 

Directed by Georgetown Law, Fellows provide quality representation at PDS to adults and adolescents accused of crimes, while developing skills as a clinical instructor. Emphasize long-term commitment to PD work and racial justice. Apply early for its rolling deadline. Submit all essay drafts for review well in advance of the deadline. Sign up for advising with Judy Murciano by making a Fellowship appointment.

Justice Catalyst Fellowship. Harnessing the interdisciplinary approach of Professor Hanson’s Systemic Justice Lab, target how your innovative solution to a community-informed, access to justice problem can be addressed for the greatest sustainable and scalable impact that shifts power dynamics (economic and political) and fuels a clear Theory of Change. Regional work may be nationally magnified. Watch the latest info webinar. Applicants are highly encouraged to submit a prospectus by September 30, 2024. Final full application is due on December 2, 2024. Sign up for advising with Judy Murciano by making a Fellowship appointment.

Independence Foundation Fellows provide free, direct legal services in the Greater Philadelphia area. Only certain organizations are invited to host a single fellow. Consult your host organization about whether they are eligible for the fellowship this year. Sign up for advising with Judy Murciano by making a Fellowship appointment.

The ACLU runs multiple different organization-based fellowships for specific targeted litigation (Brennan First Amendment/National Security, Technology, and Privacy; Karpatkin Racial Justice Fellowship is now 2 yrs, etc.). Familiarity with their ongoing litigation and latest policy advocacy, as well as highlighting your writing and research skills, are key for integrating into their team hiring. Sign up for advising with Judy Murciano by making a Fellowship appointment. 

Please note that some deadlines vary by host country. Check the national deadline for your host country to determine which internal deadline you must meet. Project proposal should be endemic to the host country, detailed in methodology, and positioned as a “novel contribution to the field” driven by “why” and “how” questions for critical analysis. Besides the three letters of recommendation for a Fulbright (preferably 2 of the 3 from HLS Faculty), you will also need a Letter of Affiliation from the host country (faculty from an institute of higher learning/NGO), a language form from someone who has taught the host’s official language, and a Campus Evaluation (this fellowship requires a discussion with Judy Murciano in an advising appointment or during drop-in office hours). Submit your drafts for review well in advance of the internal deadline. 

Prepare for the PMF by carefully reading the updated Applicant Handbook and answering the practice questions applying their key competencies. Note: 1) Register with your personal Gmail email address, NOT your HLS .edu email address; 2) Request a signed form on HLS letterhead from the HLS Registrar attesting to your status as a student in good standing due to graduate by May 2025. This form is critical and must be ready for uploading together with your transcript (use an official transcript, because PMF wants to see the HLS logo on school documents) and upload a resume (and a certification of veterans’ preference, Native American status, or specially granted accommodations) before you take the PMF exam; 3) Take the exam early and in one sitting. If documentation of eligibility from the Registrar may not arrive before Sept. 18, please contact OPIA asap. The PMF closes at NOON on Sept. 18.

Americans United for Separation of Church and State is looking for a two-year (Aug./Sep. 2025–Aug./Sep. 2027) Constitutional Litigation Fellow who is committed to civil rights, impact litigation, and upholding core First Amendment protections. Your work will include defending the rights of women, LGBTQ+ people, and racial and religious minorities against religion-based discrimination and oppression. And you will fight to keep religion out of government—including through challenges to religious activities in public schools, public financing of religious institutions, and government-sponsored religion in the public square.

EJW Fellows seek to meet the unmet legal needs of marginalized communities in a wide range of issue areas highlighted on their website. Project-driven, the EJW application prioritizes: 1) a clearly defined problem of significant magnitude; 2) an ambitious but feasible means to address the problem with an impactful, creative/innovative concrete strategy; 3) a sustainable and scalable solution; 4) a series of opportunities for engaging the sponsoring firm/corporation in the project. EJW proposals can often serve as a template for many additional fellowships throughout the year. Recommendations sent directly to the EJW portal must be received a week before the deadline. Sign up for advising with Judy Murciano by making a Fellowship appointment. Please check the EJW site for relevant info sessions and Guide.