Dean Fealk, 2011 Marshall Memorial Fellow
When I first met Dean Fealk, a Partner at DLA Piper, one of the largest business law firms in the world, I could tell he loves traveling and doing work that has a positive social impact. Early in his career, after completing a Master’s at the London School of Economics and Political Science, Dean taught and studied on a Fulbright to the Republic of Korea where he was the first American to clerk at the Constitutional Court of Korea. In 2011, the same year Dean was named one of “40 Under 40” by The Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal and one of the twenty leading lawyers in California under the age of 40 by the Daily Journal, he was also chosen for The German Marshall Fund’s (GMF) Marshall Memorial Fellowship (MMF). The fellowship provides emerging leaders from the United States and Europe the opportunity to explore each other’s politics, business, innovation, and culture through an experiential learning program. American and European Fellows each visit five cities during a 24-day itinerary of meetings. Since his MMF experience, he was named a US-Spain Council Young Leader and joined a delegation of 10 young American leaders who traveled to Europe to promote the bilateral relationship between the U.S. and Spain. Excited to learn more about the Marshall Memorial Fellowship, I sat down with Dean to ask him about his fellowship experience and tips for the application process.
1. What is unique about the Marshall Memorial Fellowship experience?
The MMF gives emerging leaders from the private sector, government, NGOs and academia the opportunity to travel Europe, meet with thought leaders across the continent and explore issues of importance to the transatlantic relationship. It is a unique chance to step away from the daily routine for a month, self-reflect and open yourself to new ideas and viewpoints. The experience is not intended to be a one-way channel for information but rather an authentic and dynamic exchange of perspectives. Fellows act as private diplomats, representing the US and their home states as they make their way across the great cities of Europe.
Perhaps the most meaningful products of the MMF are the close friendships forged as fellows make their pilgrimage across Europe, through the Baltics, through ancient and contemporary history, often in a bleary-eyed sleep-deprived state. The schedules are jam-packed with official meetings, events and programming so there is literally no “down time.” The trial-by-fire is a shared experience not soon forgotten. And on an ongoing basis once the fellowship is over, the GMF works to preserve the trans-Atlantic relationships through its lifelong learning and extensive alumni network.
2. What do you think made your nomination and application stand out?
I think in my case I was able to demonstrate a proven track-record working to strengthen and support think tanks and non-profit organizations. Civic engagement is valuable to the GMF, which looks for fellows who will continue to work towards its mission and help strengthen the organization and MMF after the fellowship has ended. Generally, the GMF also looks for candidates who have excelled not only in their chosen professional fields but who also are civic minded and thoughtful about the issues of the day.
In addition to the nomination and written application there is a fairly rigorous panel interview where candidates are posed questions on a variety of subjects ranging from geo-politics to economics and the arts. You don’t need to be an expert on any of these topics, but it helps if you are relaxed, thoughtful and can let your values and passions come through.
Being passionate and knowledgeable about your home city are also competitive advantages. American fellows are asked to host incoming European fellows that tour the US on an annual basis, so it makes an impression in the interview if a candidate is actively engaged in the social fabric of his or her community.
3. What tips would you give others applying to the Marshall Memorial Fellowship?
Freshly reflect on where you are in your career, the path you have taken and where you see yourself in five or ten years. Also consider your personal leadership narrative. It might sound cliché to think about a short “elevator pitch,” but the exercise really forces you to take an objective look at your skill-set, experiences and ambitions so that you can articulate them in an organized and compelling fashion. That said, just be yourself! The GMF looks for leaders from a diverse range of backgrounds that are representative of society. Be your authentic self and just tell your story. And when you make the trip, go with an open heart and mind. You almost certainly will not return the same person.
Dean Fealk heads the Global Equity practice at DLA Piper, advising leading multinational companies on a wide range of legal and strategic issues related to doing business overseas. He is also a Truman National Security Fellow and general counsel to the Halifax International Security Forum. Dean is a graduate of the 2009-10 class of Leadership San Francisco and the Executive Leadership Program at Harvard Business School. Dean earned his J.D. from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law.
© Victoria Johnson 2013, all rights reserved.
Scott Burns, 2007-2008 Alfa Fellow
Recently I had the pleasure of meeting Scott Burns, a successful finance professional turned startup entrepreneur, and former Alfa Fellow. Scott took his first steps toward his Alfa Fellowship immersion when he joined the US Peace Corps in Kazakhstan. There he managed a local NGO and taught economics at a regional university. Afterwards, he assumed leadership roles in organizations providing infrastructure and financial advisory services in emerging markets. Scott is grateful for the opportunities the Alfa Fellowship offered him.
The Alfa Fellowship Program facilitates work placements for accomplished young professionals from the U.S. and Britain in work assignments at leading organizations in Russia in the fields of business, economics, journalism, law, public policy and related areas. As part of his fellowship Scott arranged a role with Alfa Capital Partners (ACP), a Russian private equity and real estate investment advisory firm. As an investment manager in Moscow, Scott deployed commitments from a $160 million private equity fund and contributed on the boards of several Eastern European logistics providers. More recently he built an emerging markets-focused business line within a major European energy consulting firm (part of the $2bn revenue DNV group).
We asked Scott more about his path to the Alfa Fellowship and how that experience shaped his career.
1. What inspired you to apply to the Alfa Fellowship?
Before applying, I had spent some time in the Former Soviet Union and was fascinated by the region. While in graduate school, a friend shared an Alfa Fellowship Program (AFP) description with me during a phone conversation. I was struck by the way the program aligned with my professional interests. I hoped to build my understanding of Russia and Russian language, while learning more, in particular, about local infrastructure finance. The AFP offered an ideal platform for exploring these themes and directly experiencing Russian life, society, and commerce.
2. How has the experience impacted your career path and interests?
Scott at Tsoi Wall in Moscow
On being selected for the program, I was able to find professional placement in an investment advisory group, AlfaCapital Partners (ACP), managing a fund focused on transport infrastructure in Eastern Europe. I enjoyed my experience there. After the program, I stayed on full-time with ACP for several years. The entire period had a significant impact on my professional development. Through my work, I gained valuable perspective on building and managing companies, transaction structuring and investment analysis. The experience was particularly unique for the immersion it offered in emerging market commercial environments, through which I gained a much clearer understanding of their associated risks and opportunities.
3. What advice would you give to others applying to the Alfa Fellowship?
Prospective fellows should focus on understanding exactly what they would like to get out of the program. The AFP does a great job of facilitating learning opportunities, but participants need to be diligent about taking advantage of these opportunities. If you don’t have a clear idea of the specific field you’d like to explore within the Russian context or lack strong reasons for your specific interests, you may not get the most out of participation.
Also, when exploring potential professional interests prior to application, I would suggest that a prospective fellow try to speak to current or former fellows with similar work experience. They may be able to offer a lot of insight not available through general background research. Their guidance may help the applicant make a better choice regarding the professional fields he/she chooses to explore.
Scott is now based in California, launching a company that uses technology to make sophisticated money management tools accessible for mainstream America. He is a CFA charterholder with a bachelor’s degree in economics and mathematics from Whitman College, and a master’s degree in International Development from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. Scott currently serves as Vice President of the Alfa Fellowship Alumni Program.
© Victoria Johnson 2013, all rights reserved.
Jason Tashea, 2012-12 Fulbright Fellow in Kosovo
Jason Tashea does not miss any opportunity to go abroad. During and after studying law at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Jason won three fellowships that allowed him to work abroad in places like Armenia and Austria on rule of law development. These fellowships include the Nick Begich Scholarship for Alaskans, the Savage Endowment for International Relations and Peace Student Fellowship, and the Northwest Institute for Conflict Resolution Fellowship. His latest and current fellowship, a 2012-13 Fulbright Grant, has sent him all the way to Kosovo where he is analyzing and studying judicial and juvenile law reform in the region. Jason is working with the Kosovo Law Institute in Pristina and speaking with judges to better assess judicial reform in developing legal systems. He is also teaching two courses at the American University of Kosovo. We caught up with Jason to learn more about his Fulbright fellowship and his tips for success.
1. What inspired you to apply for the Fulbright Grant in Kosovo?
There are very few opportunities out there that allow you to create your own project to pursue in a foreign country. There are even fewer that then pay you to implement it. Fulbright is one of those opportunities, and it would have been foolish to not take a chance at such a unique opportunity. Also, I had an interest in the Balkans years before the Fulbright Grant crossed my radar.
2. What do you think made your application stand out?
I’ll be the first to tell you that I don’t know why I was chosen for a Fulbright. However, I was given advice from previous Fulbright fellows, which I think helped my application dramatically. Below I’ll sum up the four recommendations I received and how I applied them. Those recommendations include: 1) the right country, 2) name dropping, 3) concise background information, and 4) immediacy.
I was interested in a research Fulbright from the rule of law perspective, specifically judicial reform. I could have done this proposal in a number of countries; however, Kosovo specifically called for law-focused Fulbright proposals. Also, Kosovo was one of the few country programs without an advanced language requirement. I speak German, but that wasn’t helpful in the countries I wanted to work. So, this combination of matching topic and no language requirement, plus my interest in the Balkans, more or less picked Kosovo for me.
Regarding name dropping, I contacted relevant legal reform groups in Kosovo – individuals that previously worked in Kosovo legal reform, as well as individuals that had done similar Fulbright research in other Balkan countries. Speaking with these people allowed me to better assess what my research proposal would look like and provided credibility to my own project. In essence, I presumed that the more connections I could show to the region in my area of research, the more likely I was to hit the ground running.
Another aspect that helped my application I think, was the concise use of pertinent background facts on judicial reform in Kosovo that may not be familiar to the panelists who judged my proposal. I was told that the average reviewer might not have any expertise about the country or the proposed research topic. By injecting lots of concise points about the ongoing changes in the legal system in Kosovo, the reader would gain an adequate understanding of the current state of affairs in Kosovo.
Last, I gave a sense of immediacy to my application. The above two points answer the “Why you?” question. Creating a sense of immediacy for this project answered “Why now?” Since Kosovo’s independence in 2008, the nation has literally remade their judiciary from scratch. All of the people involved with these reforms, including the politicians, NGOs, and judges, are still accessible in Kosovo, which allowed me the opportunity to study and understand the reform process since 2008. I indicated in my application how there was a small window of time left to interview these people while their memories were fresh. I think that this sense of immediacy illustrated why this project was important to do now.
3. How has the fellowship influenced your career path?
It’s hard to know yet how the Fulbright Grant will influence my career path; however, even in the first few weeks of this project, people from all over have helped me acquaint myself to Kosovo and have offered professional insight to the legal reform world. Considering how enriching these first few weeks have been, I know that I’ll only find more connections and benefits by being involved with Fulbright now and as an alumnus.
Jason was born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska. He earned a Bachelor’s in History at Linfield College in McMinnville, Oregon, and his Juris Doctor from the University of Oregon in Eugene. Jason is currently a Fulbright Grant Recipient (2012-2013) in Pristina, Kosovo, researching recent judicial reforms and their effect on morale. Jason can be followed on Twitter @jtashea and through www.legallynorthofbabylon.com.
© Victoria Johnson 2012, all rights reserved.
If you’re a first year law student of color who is interested in working in a public interest law position during the summer then applying for the Goodwin Procter Public Interest Fellowship should be on the top of your list of things to do.
Three Goodwin Procter Public Interest Fellowships are awarded annually, providing fellows with a $7,500 USD award to help cover expenses from working in a public interest law position, attorney advisors to help fellows succeed in their public interest law position, and introductions to Goodwin Procter. A fourth fellowship, the MassMutual/Goodwin Public Interest Fellowship, is also awarded. In addition to the aforementioned benefits, Mass Mutual/Goodwin fellows also receive opportunities to interact with members of MassMutual’s Legal Department as a way to learn about their business and gain a greater understanding of an in-house legal department.
To qualify for these fellowships, applicants must be full-time, currently-enrolled first year student of color who are pursuing a Juris Doctor degree at an ABA-accredited law school. To be awarded a Fellowship, candidates may not be the recipient of a similar scholarship award from another law firm.
The application deadline for the 2013 Goodwin Procter Public Interest Fellowships for Law Students of Color is March 1, 2013.
Described as “a legal Peace Corps” by The Los Angeles Times, the Skadden Fellowship was established in 1988 to provide greater funding for graduating law students who wish to devote their professional lives to providing legal services to the poor, the elderly, the homeless and the disabled, as well as those deprived of their civil or human rights. Since the inception of the program, almost 90 percent of the Fellows have remained in public interest or public sector work.
Nisha Agarwal began her legal career as a Skadden Fellow and is now Director of the Health Justice Program at New York Lawyers for the Public Interest. Nisha advocates for racial justice and immigrant rights perspective in issues concerning language rights in pharmacies, racial discrimination in hospitals, medical deportation, and the closure of community hospitals and clinics in medically under-served areas.
As an Skadden alum, Nisha also just received a $10,000 Flom Incubator Grant to establish the Center for Popular Democracy, a new national organization to promote equity, opportunity and democracy through grassroots capacity building and strategic policy work for new immigrants.
The Skadden Fellowship is a 2-year fellowship that provides a salary and fringe benefits. Candidates must create their own projects at public interest organizations with at least two lawyers on staff before they apply. Read more here.
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