JD Distinguished Fellowship Program
The 2013 JD Distinguished Fellowship Program will fund legal work performed by 2013 graduates for either external employers or WCL centers and programs. The fellowships will be awarded through an anonymous, selective process. Interested candidates should meet the following criteria:
1. Candidates must be 2013 WCL JD graduates and have a commitment from a fellowship sponsoring employer (Fellowship Sponsor) at the time of application. The Fellowship Sponsor may be for profit or non-profit, domestic or international. The work performed during the fellowship will be restricted to substantive legal or law-related work, as evaluated by the JD Distinguished Fellowship Selection Committee, which enhances the candidate's career development. The work should be related to the candidate's previous experience and career goals, as demonstrated by the candidate's resume and essay.
2. Applicants must commit to perform work under the supervision of the Fellowship Sponsor for the full term of the fellowship, unless a permanent, full-time position is secured prior to the end of the fellowship.
Each of the 36 fellowships sponsored by WCL will be awarded in the amount of $24,000 and will last for twelve months, from September 2013 until September 2014. Due to a generous contribution from the Student Bar Association, this year's JD Distinguished Fellowship Program will include an additional seven fellowships, each lasting six months for $12,000, which will be awarded after the selection of the initial 36 fellows. Candidates and Fellowship Sponsors will be subject to various deadlines and reporting requirements before, during, and after the fellowship.
Candidates will be required to submit a resume and application to the Office of Career & Professional Development (OCPD) by June 7, 2013 at 5pm. Candidates are required to read the Frequently Asked Questions for the program, which can be found on the sidebar to the left. Awards are anticipated to be announced by early July, 2013.
UPDATE: On May 17, 2013, Dean Grossman announced an increase in the number of WCL Fellowships that will be offered through the JD Distinguished Fellowship Program for 2013 graduates. This year, WCL is providing funding for 56 fellowships, each lasting for twelve months. Due to a generous contribution from the SBA, seven supplemental fellowships are available this year, each lasting for six months. Therefore, in total, there will be 63 JD Distinguished Fellowships available this year (56 will last twelve months and 7 will last six months).
Because the application instructions and the Fellowship Sponsor Certification Form were created before May 17, they still reflect the original level of funding for the program, which made 36 WCL Fellowships available. Nonetheless, those forms (as provided below) may still be used to apply for the program.
To apply, please read and/or complete the following three application materials:
3. Fellowship Sponsor Certification Form
