POST GRADUATE OPPORTUNITIES

WLPPFP: U.S. Fellowships
September 2010 through August 2011 (Link)

The Women's Law and Public Policy Fellowship Program offers Fellowships for public interest lawyers from across the United States who are committed to advancing women's rights throughout their careers. Throughout the Fellowship year, participants gain invaluable experience by working on women's issues in Washington, D.C. with a public interest organization or governmental agency and by participating in educational and professional development opportunities provided by WLPPFP.

The deadline for applications for the 2010-2011 Women’s Law and Public Policy Fellowship Program is Monday, November 2.

The Fellowships are determined each year based upon several factors, including the interests of the top Fellowship candidates, the potential placement organizations, and the donors supporting the Fellowships. Since the establishment of the Program, WLPPFP has been fortunate to be able to place a Women's Law Fellow each year with the Georgetown University Law Center Domestic Violence Clinic, the National Partnership for Women and Families, and the National Women's Law Center - three preeminent women's rights entities in Washington, DC. The Program periodically offers specially designated Fellowships, such as the Rita Charmatz Davidson Fellowship addressing the rights of low-income women; the Harriet B. Burg Fellowship addressing the rights of women with disabilities; Fellowships focusing on issues concerning women and HIV/AIDS; etc. All Fellowships provide an incomparable opportunity to work with leaders in the women's legal community, to gain tremendous experience promoting women's rights, and to sharpen leadership and advocacy skills through in-depth training sessions provided by the Program. Applicants should indicate in the appropriate section of the application form whether or not they wish to be considered for Fellowships focusing on specific issues. Indicating interest in more than one issue will not jeopardize a candidate's consideration; on the contrary, doing so may facilitate the Program's ability to match the candidate with a Fellowship. The Women's Law and Public Policy Fellowship Program makes every effort to accommodate the Fellows' placement preferences. However, the Program cannot guarantee any particular placement organization, even if an applicant has a prior relationship or connection with an organization involved in legal and policy issues affecting women.
All but one of the Fellowships are one-year positions, commencing at the beginning of September and running through the end of August the following year. The Georgetown University Law Center Domestic Violence Clinic Teaching Fellowship is a two-year teaching position commencing at the beginning of August and leading to an LL.M. degree. Applicants for the Domestic Violence Clinic Teaching Fellowship must already be admitted into a bar by December 2008 to permit waiver into the DC Bar before the start of the Fellowship. Questions specifically about the Domestic Violence Clinical Fellowships may be directed to the Domestic Violence Clinic at 202-662-9640.

All of the Fellows participate in numerous Women's Law and Public Policy Fellowship Program events throughout the Fellowship year, such as an orientation, bi-weekly seminars, skills-building trainings, and other activities organized by the Program. For example, in prior years the Fellows have met with U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, and other leaders in the legal field addressing women's rights and related social justice issues. The Fellows also have an opportunity to audit courses related to women's rights at the Georgetown University Law Center and to attend other events at the law school. Except for the Domestic Violence Clinic Teaching Fellowship, no law school course work is required and no degree will be awarded. Applicants must either be in their final year of law school or be a law school graduate, and must show a demonstrated commitment to advancing women's rights throughout their careers.
Applications must be postmarked by the deadline, and early applications are encouraged. Fellowship selection will be conducted throughout the spring and summer. Depending on the availability of funds, approximately six applicants will be awarded Women's Law and Public Policy Fellowships, which will carry a stipend of about $37,500. The placement organizations employ the Fellows and provide standard fringe benefits. WLPPFP may also be able to offer a limited number of non-stipend Fellowships to public interest lawyers focusing on women’s rights who have already obtained employment in the Washington, DC area. The non-stipend Fellowships provide Fellows with the opportunity to participate in all WLPPFP seminars, professional development trainings, and networking events.

Please note: due to limited staffing and the high volume of applications we receive, we regret that we are unable to notify applicants who are not awarded a Fellowship position, or to respond to inquiries from applicants (although questions specifically about the Domestic Violence Clinical Fellowships may be directed to the Domestic Violence Clinic at 202-662-9640).

Leadership and Advocacy for Women in Africa
LAWA Fellowship Program (LINK)

The Leadership and Advocacy for Women in Africa (LAWA) Fellowship Program was founded in 1993 at the Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C., in order to train women's human rights lawyers from Africa who are committed to returning home to their countries in order to advance the status of women and girls in their own countries throughout their careers. Over 50 women's human rights advocates from Botswana, Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe have participated in the LAWA Program, and we hope to include Fellows from additional countries in the future.

The entire LAWA Fellowship Program is approximately 14 months long (from July of the first year through August of the following year), after which the LAWA Fellows return home to continue advocating for women's rights in their own countries. The LAWA Program starts in July, when the Fellows attend the Georgetown Law Center's Foundations of American Law and Legal Education course. From August through May, the LAWA Fellows earn a Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree at Georgetown with an emphasis on international women's human rights and complete a major graduate paper on a significant women's rights issue in their home countries. After graduation, the LAWA Fellows then have an opportunity to engage in challenging work assignments for several months at various public interest organizations to learn about different advocacy strategies to advance women’s human rights, before returning home to continue advancing women's human rights in their own countries.
Throughout their time in Washington, D.C., the LAWA Fellows also participate in bi-weekly seminars and professional development training with their American counterparts in the Women’s Law and Public Policy Fellowship Program, where they discuss key women's rights issues with prominent government and public interest leaders. They attend related events, such as Supreme Court and Congressional briefings on significant women's rights issues. The relationships that the LAWA attorneys build with their American contacts and government leaders, together with their legal training and enhanced computer research and technology skills, provide the ability to draw upon vastly expanded legal networks and resources upon their return to Africa.

The results of the LAWA Program have been extremely compelling and rewarding. Upon completion of their Program, our LAWA Alumnae have returned home to assume prominent leadership positions enabling them to focus on women's rights issues in non-governmental organizations, government agencies, law schools, courts, legislatures, and private firms. They have formed their own non-governmental organizations, such as the Women's Legal Assistance Center in Tanzania and Legal Advocacy for Women in Uganda (LAW-Uganda) to promote women's human rights in their countries (e.g., by bringing impact litigation under their countries' statutes, constitutions, and the human rights treaties that their countries have ratified). The LAWA alums also retain and build upon the relationships they have developed during their time in Washington, D.C. For example, many subsequently work in partnership with the International Women's Human Rights Clinic at the Georgetown University Law Center to draft new legislation and to bring test cases before their courts.

The LAWA Program helps defray the costs for women's rights attorneys from Africa who would not otherwise be able to afford a Master of Laws degree focusing on international women's human rights and the additional leadership training. The LAWA Fellowship provides the tuition for the Foundations of American Law and Legal Education Course (a U.S. $2,200 benefit) and for the LL.M. degree (a U.S. $42,065 benefit) at the Georgetown University Law Center, as well as professional development training. Candidates who are admitted to the LAWA Program must be prepared to cover the costs of all additional expenses (such as their visas, travel, housing, utilities, food, clothing, health insurance, books, etc.), and must be able to demonstrate to the U.S. Embassy for visa purposes that they have the funds available to cover those expenses (approximately $25,000). Due to the intensity of the LAWA Program and academic studies, LAWA Fellows are not permitted to work throughout the academic portion of the program. They must also affirm that they will return home after the LAWA Fellowship and continue to promote women's human rights in their countries throughout their careers.

U.S. K&L Gates Public Interest Fellowship (LINK)

The Pittsburgh Foundation and K&L Gates LLP are proud to offer the K&L Gates Public Interest Fellowship Program. The fellowship was established in September 1999 to offer law students the opportunity to assist public service organizations located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Each summer, the program awards up to three successful candidates a fellowship that enables them to spend four weeks of their summer working at one of four designated public interest organizations.

The Pittsburgh Foundation's K&L Gates Fund provides the funding for the fellowships. K&L Gates established the fund in 1996 with the firm's $250,000 contribution to The Pittsburgh Foundation. Allegheny Conference on Community Development, Education Law Center, KidsVoice and Neighborhood Legal Services have teamed with The Pittsburgh Foundation to offer placement opportunities to K&L Gates Fellows.

* Allegheny Conference on Community Development. Provides research, analysis, planning and development to improve the economy and quality of life in Southwestern Pennsylvania.
* Education Law Center. Provides free legal assistance and advice to parents, advocates and other professionals on issues of public education.
* KidsVoice. Provides legal representation to abused, neglected and other at-risk children.
* Neighborhood Legal Services Association. Provides legal representation to poor and vulnerable residents of Western Pennsylvania who have financial, landlord-tenant, domestic violence or other legal problems.

Fellowship Stipend: In 2009, each recipient will be paid a stipend of $1,000/week (less applicable taxes). All stipend checks will be made payable to the student and mailed to the organizations at which they will be working. K&L Gates will pay a supplemental salary to any recipient who receives and accepts an offer to spend the remainder of the summer as a K&L Gates summer associate. The supplemental salary and stipend will equal the weekly salary of K&L Gates' summer associates during the fellowship period. K&L Gates fellows however, are not required to spend the rest of the summer with K&L Gates.

Purpose of K&L Gates Public Interest Fellowship: K&L Gates is committed to affording all attorneys, including future attorneys, opportunities to provide pro bono legal services. This Fellowship Program underscores K&L Gates' and the legal profession's commitment to public service. Public interest fellowships serve as a unique vehicle by which K&L Gates may attract highly qualified summer associates to Pittsburgh to make significant legal service contributions and to gain substantial legal experience within a non-profit agency environment. Fellowship recipients will find that a K&L Gates Fellowship will be an impressive credential that will be valued by future employers.

Application Process: To be considered for a fellowship award, candidates must complete and submit an application. Subject to the approval of the Board of Directors of The Pittsburgh Foundation, an Advisory Committee recommends the fellowship recipients based on academic merit, demonstrated commitment to public service, other information provided through the application process and interviews with finalist candidates. Family members of Advisory Committee members are not eligible for this fellowship. The Pittsburgh Foundation will notify chosen fellowship recipients of its decision. All stipend checks will be made payable to the fellow and mailed to the public interest organization where they will be working.

To request a copy of the application materials, or to address any questions, please contact your career services/placement office or contact:

Jessica L. Gangjee
Manager of Legal Recruiting
K&L Gates LLP
Henry W. Oliver Building
535 Smithfield Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
(412) 355-6547
jessica.gangjee@klgates.com

or

Deborah L. Turner
Scholarship Coordinator
The Pittsburgh Foundation
Five PPG Place, Suite 250
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-5414
(412) 394-2649
turnerd@pghfdn.org