Fellowships
Students interested in continuing study and working towards an advanced degree have the option of pursuing post-graduate programs. Some of the available advanced degree programs include taxation, litigation, banking, labor, admiralty, energy, and environment.
For more information on these programs, contact admissions officers at the law schools that interest you or check the comprehensive guide to programs offered throughout the world in the Directory of Graduate Law Degree Programs found in the Law Library. Post-graduate fellowship opportunities are numerous and are available in the U.S. and abroad. The competition for these grants is stiff, so begin your search at least one year prior to the anticipated time of beginning the project. Faculty members who have been recipients of grants or fellowships may be good sources of information. Additional sources of information include The Annual Register of Grant Support: A Director of Funding Services and The Foundation Directory.
In addition to law school grants for graduate degree programs, there are a number of major fellowships and funding programs. Many of these fellowships are for one to two years and may include earning an advanced degree, such as an LLM. Information on fellowships can be obtained in several directories, including Funding for Law Legal Research, Education & Study.
Following is some information about a number of well-known fellowships:
Skadden Fellowships
The Skadden Fellowship Foundation, described as "a legal Peace Corps" by The Los Angeles Times, was established in 1988 to commemorate the firm's 40th anniversary, in recognition of the dire need for greater funding for graduating law students who wish to devote their professional lives to providing legal services to the poor (including the working poor), the elderly, the homeless and the disabled, as well as those deprived of their civil or human rights. The aim of the foundation is to give Fellows the freedom to pursue public interest work; thus, the Fellows create their own projects at public interest organizations with at least two lawyers on staff before they apply.
Fellowships are awarded for two years. Skadden provides each Fellow with a salary and pays all fringe benefits to which an employee of the sponsoring organization would be entitled. For those Fellows not covered by a law school low income protection plan, the firm will pay a Fellow's law school debt service for the tuition part of the loan for the duration of the fellowship.
Peggy Browning Fellowships
The Peggy Browning Fund is a nonprofit corporation established in memory of Margaret A. Browning, a prominent labor attorney and member of the National Labor Relations Board. President Clinton appointed Peggy to the NLRB in 1994, and she served in that position until her death in February 1997.
The Fund's mission is to provide law students with diverse, challenging work and educational experiences in the area of workers' rights. Such unique and positive opportunities will both increase students' understanding of workers' needs as well as promote their entry into the practice of public interest labor law.
Presidential Management Fellows
The Presidential Management Fellows (PMF) Program was established by executive order in 1977 to attract to federal service outstanding men and women from a variety of academic disciplines and career paths who have a clear interest in, and commitment to, excellence in the leadership and management of public policies and programs. By drawing graduate students from diverse social and cultural backgrounds, the PMF Program provides a continuing source of trained men and women to meet the future challenges of public service.
Faegre Drinker Diversity Scholarships
With an ongoing commitment to attracting, retaining and developing individuals with diverse backgrounds, Faegre Drinker awards two $10,000 diversity scholarships each year.
Second-year law students at the Maurer School of Law, along with students at the IU McKinney School of Law and the University of Notre Dame Law School in South Bend, are eligible recipients. Scholarship recipients also receive a place in Faegre's summer associate program.
The diversity scholarships were established for students of varied ethnic, racial and cultural backgrounds. Lifestyle, disabilities and unique viewpoints are also considered when selecting students for the award. In addition to their applications, finalists are interviewed by members of the firm's diversity committee before the winners are chosen.
Robert Bosch Foundation Fellowship Program
The Robert Bosch Foundation Fellowship Program is a distinguished transatlantic initiative that each year offers twenty accomplished young Americans the opportunity to complete a high-level professional development program in Germany. Over the course of a nine-month program, Bosch Fellows complete two work phases at leading German institutions, both customized to each fellow's professional expertise, and attend three seminars with key decision-makers from the public and private sectors, taking place across Europe. Fellows are recruited from business administration, journalism, law, public policy and closely related fields. No German language skills are required at the time of application.
The program is fully funded by Robert Bosch Stiftung, one of the largest foundations in Germany, with the goal of creating a new generation of American leaders who have firsthand experience in the political, economic and cultural environment of Germany and the E.U.
Public Interest Law Initiative Fellowships
The Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI) cultivates a lifelong commitment to the public interest law. For law students, PILI strives to encourage pro bono participation as well as law student involvement in externships and law school-based legal clinics. PILI also offers a paid public interest law internship program during the summer and academic semesters. For new law school graduates, a offer a public interest law fellowship is available. Together, these programs help instill this critical public interest/pro bono ethic early in an attorney’s career. To ensure that this public interest law ethic grows into a lifelong participation in public interest law and pro bono work, PILI offers a pro bono program, the Pro Bono Initiative (PBI). PBI promotes best practices for pro bono work, help ensure effective communication about available pro bono opportunities, and act as a clearinghouse and resource for pro bono issues.
Since its founding, PILI has placed over 2,600 Interns and Fellows. PILI's Pro Bono Initiative is also now a full-time project, and PILI recently launched an Alumni Program for its former Interns and Fellows.
Federal Scholar Programs
Several agencies within the departments of Defense, Agriculture, Energy, Environment and more have Scholar programs that may be your door to a federal opportunity. If you are selected, the benefits can mean a full-time government salary, more education, research opportunities and the potential for a permanent position after the program is completed.
The USDA has two applicable programs, the Daniel E. Salmon Scholarship and the Public Service Leaders Scholarship Program.
The Department of Energy has a Scholars Program for students interested in energy security, nuclear security, scientific discovery and environmental responsibility.
You can always search USA.gov to find out about more opportunities like these.