The Marvin D. Nathan
Endowed Fellowship Fund
History
and Purpose
Description
of the Fellowship
Comments
from Marvin Nathan Fellow, Patrick Elkins - Summer 2003
Application
Process
Deadlines
and Dates for 2008
Contact
for more information
History and Purpose
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 established
with the University of Houston Law Foundation provides an award to a UH Law
Center student participating in a Summer Fellowship Program at the Anti-Defamation
League, Houston Regional Office.
Headquartered in New York City, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) is the premier
national non-profit organization that fights anti-Semitism and all forms of
bigotry in the U.S. and abroad, combats international terrorism, probes the
roots of hatred, comes to the aid of victims of bigotry, develops educational
programs, and serves as a public resource for government, media, law enforcement,
all toward the goals of countering and reducing hatred. Defending Constitutional
Freedoms, especially First Amendment freedoms, is a key part of the ADL agenda
through both direct complaint resolution and through court briefs.
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Description of the Fellowship
The Marvin D. Nathan Fellow will be afforded the unique opportunity to participate
both in the Anti-Defamation League’s (“ADL”) day-to-day legal work and its
day-to-day Regional Office work, serving constituents in the (Southwest, Texas)
Houston, Texas area. The incumbent will be expected to participate in both
the legal and policy work of the organization, learning how ADL fights anti-Semitism,
racism and bigotry, works to build bridges amongst disparate groups, and safeguards
the rights of all people.
Under the supervision of ADL staff attorneys, the Fellow will:
- Engage in legal research and writing under the supervision of ADL attorneys,
including assisting in the preparation of amicus curiae briefs, testimony,
model legislation, op-ed submissions and ADL Civil Rights Division advocacy
pieces and publications when appropriate.
- Work with ADL attorneys to assist regional staff in matters that deal
with the law and ADL policy (especially in the areas of religious liberty,
employment discrimination and hate crimes).
- Work closely with, and learn from, ADL regional staff in the handling
of constituent complaints, implementation of community service projects
and coalition building.
The fellowship will last between 8-10 weeks, with the student committing
to a minimum of 35 hours per week. The award granted to the student will
be $500 per week awarded on a monthly basis during the fellowship.
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Comments from the 2003 Marvin Nathan Fellow,
Patrick Elkins
“My experience this past summer as the first Marvin D.
Nathan Fellow was beyond my imagining. On my first day, I walked into the
ADL office here in Houston and was immediately put to work. Congress was
then debating the merits of the Workplace Religious Freedom Act, and my first
assignment was to research a line of cases and write a memo on the WRFA’s
affect on those cases. My memo was a basis for the ADL’s decision on whether
to support the bill or not. The rest of my short eight weeks with the ADL
consisted of similar intriguing and important work. For example, I spent
the time taking discrimination complaints and seeking to help those who were
discriminated against. I also spent an afternoon listening to Israeli antiterrorism
expert Yoni Fighel addressing local antiterrorism task force members. Another
morning was spent at a local high school, listening to the students discuss
how ADL program had affected their lives. The Fellowship allowed me to not
only expand my legal knowledge and hone my writing abilities, but also educated
me on national policy issues and build strong ties to the Houston community.
If you asked me whether I would recommend anyone else apply for the Fellowship,
my answer would be an emphatic yes. A fellowship with the ADL is an amazing
experience for any law student, and we at the University of Houston are extremely
lucky to have the opportunity that the Marvin D. Nathan Fellowship offers.”
Patrick is willing to answer potential
applicant questions. You can contact him at pkelkins@central.uh.edu.
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Application Process
The Marvin D. Nathan Fellowship program is administered through the UH Law
Center Public Interest Program. Prospective fellows will compete in a formal
application process that includes a personal statement, resume, unofficial
transcript 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 Anti-Defamation League.
Finalists for the fellowship grant may 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.
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Deadlines and Dates for 2008
Application Deadline - February 15, 2008
Submit to Student Services Suite 30 5:00 p.m.
Interviews – First or second week in March
The review panel will select the top candidates for a personal interview.
Selection – expected by March 14, 2008
We expect to notify the selected individual via phone or email. At that time the student selected must submit information to the ADL for a criminal background check.
Jurisprudence Luncheon – April 1, 2008
The 2007 Marvin Nathan Fellow will attend the Anti-Defamation League Annual Jurisprudence Luncheon.
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Contact for more information
Please email Dean Tennessee at srichard@central.uh.edu.
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