The Marvin D. Nathan Endowed Fellowship Fund

Endowed by Marlene N. Meyerson to honor and recognize her cousin Marvin D. Nathan, a distinguished alumnus of the class of 1966 of the University of Houston Law Center, the Marvin D. Nathan Endowed Fellowship Fund provides an award to a UH Law Center student to participate in a Summer Fellowship Program at the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), Houston Regional Office.  Founded in 1913, the ADL is a premier international civil rights/human relations agency that fights anti-Semitism and all forms of bigotry through information, education, legislation, and advocacy.

Description of the Fellowship

The Marvin D. Nathan Fellow will be afforded the unique opportunity to participate both in the ADL’s day-to-day legal work and its day-to-day Regional Office work. The fellow will participate in both the legal and policy work of the organization, learning how the ADL defends democratic ideals and protects civil rights for all.  The fellow will be supervised by The Jean and Jerry Moore Southwest Civil Rights Area Counsel.

The fellowship will last 5 weeks, to coincide with the Law Center’s summer academic calendar.  The fellow will commit to a minimum of 35 hours per week.  The fellowship award is $5,000 and will be paid out in three installments (beginning, middle and end) over the course of the fellowship period.

2012 Summer Dates are: Summer I (June 4-July 2) or Summer II (July 9-August 6)

Application Process

Prospective fellows will compete in a formal application process that includes a personal statement, resume, and two references.  The personal statement of 500 words or less should detail a student’s interest in the ADL and any past experiences that are relevant to the student’s ability to make a contribution to this organization.  Information regarding the student’s background, qualifications, or commitment to public service should be outlined in the personal statement. 

To be eligible to apply, students must be enrolled in good standing at UH Law Center, have completed 30 semester hours and taken Constitutional Law prior to the fellowship summer.  The student selected must satisfactorily pass a criminal background check as requested by the ADL.

Finalists for the fellowship grant will be asked to complete a personal interview with the Fellowship Selection Committee, which is comprised of the Dean of the University of Houston Law Center (or his or her designee) and University of Houston Faculty Members. The Southwest Regional Director of the ADL, and their designee, shall serve as non-voting advisory members of the selection committee.

Following the summer fellowship, the student is required to account for the time with the ADL and to submit a summary detailing the ways in which the fellowship experience will affect the student’s future career.

Application Deadline – Monday, February 20, 2012
Submit to stennessee@uh.edu  or Student Services Suite 30