The University of Texas at Austin   School of Law

Government Fellowships

Due to budgetary constraints of public interest organizations and government agencies, many public service summer and postgraduate positions are unpaid. However, law students and graduates can receive funding from outside resources to work at public service organizations during the summer or for a prescribed amount of time after graduation. This funding is typically awarded as a fellowship.

The process of securing a fellowship is much like the job search process. First, you must research fellowships and find one for which you may be qualified and best suits your career goals. The application process can be as simple as filling out a form or as involved as putting together a detailed packet, complete with statement of interest, proposal for work and outside letters of recommendation. Note that most postgraduate fellowships require applications be received prior to graduation.

Below are lists of some of the fellowships most popular with UT Law students. For a comprehensive list of available fellowships, please visit PSLawNet or review Chapter 10 of Harvard’s publication, Serving the Public: A Job Search Guide, which is available in the CSO eResource Library.

Summer and Term Time Fellowships

• Law Firms: Many law firms will pay for fellowships. Most offer split summers between a nonprofit and the firm while others will fund fellowships for the whole summer to do public interest work. Most of the deadlines are in the fall. For a comprehensive list of available fellowships, please review "Firms Sponsoring Split Public Interest Summers" (PDF), located on the PSLawNet Web site.
• Patton Boggs Summer Fellowship: Funds public policy or government sector work. The Patton Boggs Foundation is pleased to contribute a Fellowship worth $5,000 to support a UT Law student who has completed either his/her first or second year of law school and will be working on public policy and related matters for the government or a nonprofit institution.
• Peggy Browning Fund: Funds work to advance the cause of worker’s rights and hosts an annual conference. The University of Texas School of Law may nominate students to attend the conference. In addition, the Peggy Browning Fund may cover on-site meals and lodging expenses as well as reasonable airfare for one student from our school.
• Rapoport Center for Human Rights and Justice Fellows: Provides stipends for summer internships with nongovernmental and intergovernmental human rights organizations in the United States and abroad that advocate for the economic and political enfranchisement of marginalized individuals and groups.
• Texas Law Fellowships: Sponsors public service fellowships for UT Law students.
• UT Law CSO Study Break Public Service Stipend: During Study Break 2012, the CSO will be awarding Study Break Public Service Stipends to support unpaid summer internships in the public sector. The Study Break Public Service Stipends will be funded by donations from sponsors of Study Break. Students who are selected to participate in the Program will receive a stipend of up to $4,000 to support at least 8 to 10 weeks of work in unpaid legal internships with a government agency or a 501(c)(3) public interest organization. Internships with judicial courts are not eligible.

Postgraduate Fellowships

• Presidential Management Fellows Program: purpose of the Program is to attract to the 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. For more information, please review the following PDF.
• Skadden Fellowship Program: Fellowships are awarded for one year, with the expectation of renewal for a second; provides salary and loan repayment assistance.
• University Co-op Public Interest Awards for Graduating Students, which is administered by the William Wayne Justice Center for Public Interest Law, honors students for extraordinary support of public interest activities during law school and following graduation.
• UT Law Faculty Postgraduate Fellowship in Public Interest Law, which is administered by the William Wayne Justice Center for Public Interest Law, provides opportunities for public service employment to dedicated students who might not otherwise find such positions early in their career. The award is made for one year, for full-time legal work sponsored by an existing organization and supervised by a licensed attorney.