What is the purpose of the Fellowship?
What are the terms of the Fellowship?
How do I apply for the Fellowship?
What criteria are considered for selection of Fellows?
Which organizations are eligible placements for the graduate Fellowship Program?
What happens after I apply for the Fellowship?
If selected, what do I need to do to get the money and when?
What if I am selected for a Fellowship, but my plans between now and September change?
What is the purpose of the fellowship?
The purpose of the Graduate Fellowship is to support those graduates who are dedicated to beginning their careers in public interest. More often than not, due to the nature of the work involved and/or budgetary constraints, non-profit organizations and government agencies cannot hire recent graduates until they have passed the bar and become licensed attorneys. The Graduate Fellowship provides our public interest-minded graduates with the opportunity to pursue an unpaid internship that might increase their candidacy for a permanent position.
Graduate Fellows are also required to attend bi-weekly career counseling appointments in the Career Development Office. Counselors assist the Graduate Fellows in making the most of their Fellowship and continuing to work toward their goal of permanent employment.
What are the terms of the fellowship?
Fellows are expected to work at least 30 hours a week for 10 weeks. This typically begins the last week of August and ends the first week of November, but is flexible given the bar exam schedule. The exact schedule is to be negotiated between the school, the graduate and the organization. The fellowship award is up to $4,500 for this ten week period. Fellows must also participate in counseling every other week with their assigned counselor in the Career Development Office.
How do I apply for the fellowship?
In order to apply, you must secure a placement with an eligible non-profit organization or government agency. Then, you must submit the following application materials to job posting ID #36444 in in the Symplicity Job Bank:
The Application form and Agency Agreement are available in Symplicity under "Resources" as "2023 Graduate Fellowship Application Materials." Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis as funding permits.
What criteria are considered for selection of fellows?
Limited funding is available for the Graduate Fellowship Program. Applications for this program will be reviewed by the administration and Graduate Fellowships will ONLY be awarded students meeting all of the following criteria:
Which organizations are eligible placements for the graduate fellowship program?
Because the goal of the program is permanent placement for our graduates, although all legal non-profit organizations and government agencies are eligible, the administration will look closely at the organizations past hiring practices and indicated future hiring needs.
In addition, the work to be performed must be of a substantive legal nature and must be supervised by a licensed attorney. Visit with the Career Development Office to discuss options. For students pursuing non-traditional or alternative legal placements, eligibility to apply for a fellowship will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Please email Bill Powers at wapowers@central.uh.edu with questions.
What happens after I apply for a fellowship?
Applications are reviewed and applicants will be notified of decisions via email as soon as possible. Once your Fellowship begins, so too does the counseling requirement.
If selected, what do I need to do to get the money and when?
To be eligible for payment, fellows must stay in regular contact with the CDO, including attending the required counseling sessions. Payment is expected to be disbursed by October 2023.
What if I am selected for a fellowship, but my plans between now and my start date change?
The participating organizations are extremely busy and have made special arrangements to arrange work for our fellows. We ask that you make every effort to fulfill your commitment to them prior to embarking on another path. However, all parties involved understand that your goal is permanent placement. If you do receive/accept a full-time job, please notify Bill Powers immediately, and we can assist you in determining the best way to wrap up your fellowship.
Please note that if you cannot complete your obligation, you must return the funding to the Law Center. Please keep in contact with the Career Development Office and notify your counselor of any concerns, employment offers, and other life-changing events which may impact your fellowship.
