The term “fellowship” is used to describe different types of opportunities.
Project-based Fellowships (e.g., Skadden, Equal Justice Works, Justice Catalyst, Borchard fellowship, Berkeley Law’s Larsen Justice fellowship, etc.) require the applicant to partner with a sponsoring organization and to develop a unique project proposal for submission to the fellowship funder. Potential sponsor organizations (usually nonprofits, but in some cases government agencies may be eligible hosts depending on the funder) often solicit applications from students interested in collaborating on project-based fellowship proposals. Deadlines to apply to sponsoring organizations typically fall throughout the summer. Most project-based fellowship applications will be due in the early Fall. Review our Project-Based Fellowship Resources handout for more detailed information to support you with your project-based fellowship application process.
Organization-Based Fellowships (e.g. Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Thurgood Marshall Fellowship; ACLU NorCal legal-policy fellowship) are sponsored and funded directly by the host organization/employer. Many have early Fall semester deadlines as well. Review 12Twenty and psjd.org job announcements throughout the year to learn more about these opportunities when they surface.
Teaching Fellowships are designed to offer the graduate the ability to learn how to teach law. Some are in specifically focused on clinical teaching and practice. Join the Academic Careers Google Group to learn more about these opportunities when they surface.
Firm-Sponsored Fellowships include short-term, entry-level positions offered by Plaintiff-side firms. We encourage you to utilize Plaintiffs’ Law Association’s (PLA) database in 12Twenty and join PLA’s newsletter to learn more about firms that may have fellowships. Firm-sponsored fellowships may also include opportunities where you can work within BigLaw firms doing designated public interest/pro bono work or split time between the firm and a designated non-profit (e.g. one year at the firm, one year at a non-profit, with an option to return to the firm).
We encourage you to review fellowship announcements in 12Twenty and the PSJD.org guides which offer additional information about the different types of fellowship opportunities as well as fellowship announcements.