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 2012 Fellowship, candidates may not be the recipient of a similar scholarship award from another law firm for the Summer of 2012.
To learn more about these fellowships click here and to apply click here. The application deadline for the 2012 Goodwin Procter Public Interest Fellowships for Law Students of Color has been extended to March 15, 2012.
Rebecca Stahl, 2011 New Zealand Fulbright Fellow
Rebecca Stahl previously worked as a Judicial Law Clerk at the Arizona Court of Appeals before moving to New Zealand as a 2011 Fulbright Fellow at the University of Otago. Rebecca is also author of the blog, “Is Yoga Legal?” We asked her three questions about her experience.
1. Why did you decide to apply for a Fulbright fellowship in New Zealand?
I decided to apply for a Fulbright fellowship in New Zealand because I was interested in learning more about the New Zealand family court system I had studied while in law school. Fulbright provided the funding, but more importantly, it provided connection to a base in New Zealand. While searching for funding opportunities, it was the Fulbright vision that most clearly resonated with what I wanted to gain through a study abroad experience. It is more than just doing the research while you are abroad. It is about connecting to a new world, and Fulbright supported both aspects of that.
2. What do you think made your application stand out?
I think my application stood out for several reasons. First, I do not believe very many lawyers apply for Fulbright fellowships, so just the fact that I was a lawyer, I think, made a difference, especially in New Zealand where so many applicants are scientists. Second, I was lucky to have a connection in New Zealand who then connected me to people at the various universities. By the time I applied, I had set up affiliations with two universities. Third, I was specific about my research goals. I had already studied the New Zealand system, but I knew the only way I could learn more about it was to come to New Zealand, so I discussed the problems we face in the United States, what I believed New Zealand was doing to remedy those problems, and had the affiliations to go along with it. Finally, I talked about my past study-abroad and work-abroad experiences in which I got involved in the local community. Thus, I spoke to the citizen diplomacy aspect of the Fulbright program in addition to the research.
3. What tips would you give others applying for a Fulbright in New Zealand?
I would encourage people applying for a Fulbright fellowship in New Zealand to reach out to people in New Zealand with whom they would like to work. Do some research and find the people who do the work you want to do. In addition, I think it is important to discuss how you intend to participate in culture. In New Zealand, that could be talking about tramping or bird watching, or even just getting involved through volunteering. Finally, be honest and upbeat. The Fulbright staff want to know who you are more than they care about whether you graduated in the top of your class. So be fully honest. It shows, and it will make a difference.
Rebecca Stahl is now an attorney at the Pima County Office of Children’s Counsel and lives in Tucson, Arizona.
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.