The University of Texas at Austin   School of Law

William Wayne Justice Center for Public Interest Law

“That they may truly and impartially administer justice”
Photo of Judicial Interns at the Texas Supreme Court Amelia Ruiz Fischer, '12, interning for the Texas Civil Rights Project in its Austin office.

Whitehurst Public Interest Summer Fellowships

In the summer of 2012, the Whitehurst Public Interest Summer Fellowships Program will provide funding for students between their second and third years of law school. Preference will be given to students who intend to pursue careers in public interest law. The program addresses these students’ particular need to work in public interest positions during the summer before their third year of school in order to be viable candidates for public interest fellowships and jobs following graduation. 

The program will provide stipends for up to six students for public interest work with qualified sponsoring organizations. A sponsoring organization must be a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt non-profit providing legal services and/or advocacy to underrepresented individuals or communities. Government agencies, labor unions, and legislative offices do not qualify as a sponsoring organization. 

The summer 2012 stipend will be $4,250 for at least 10 weeks (and a minimum of 400 hours) of work.  Given the shortage of resources, students who will split the summer between working for a sponsoring organization and working elsewhere for substantial compensation are discouraged from applying. 

            These fellowships are supported by a generous five-year gift from Stephanie Whitehurst and Bill Whitehurst, ‘70.  Each summer, the Whitehursts will name the fellowships for lawyers they admire in hopes that the recipients will be inspired by the honorees’ work in the public interest.  In the program’s inaugural summer, the Whitehursts named the fellowships in honor of lawyers Chip Brees, Michelle Cheng, Tom Harkness, Eden Harrington, Mack Kidd, and Scott Ozmun.

The application deadline for these fellowships has been extended to 4 pm on Friday, March 2, 2012. Fellows will be announced by Friday, March 9.

Whitehurst Public Interest Summer Fellowships Program Description and Application Information Spring 2012.

 

Fellowship Recipients:

Photo of Judicial Interns at the Texas Supreme Court

Kelsey Snapp, '12, with supersvisor Edward Sandoval, '09, interning for the Texas Civil Rights Project in its Austin office.

Summer 2011

  • Meg Clifford – The Jonathan Ross Public Interest Law Fellowship
  • Michael O’Keefe Cowles – The Broadus Spivey Public Interest Law Fellowship
  • Amelia Ruiz Fischer – The Victoria Touchet Public Interest Law Fellowship
  • Alissa Parsley – The Michael S. Greco Public Interest Law Fellowship
  • Jordan Pollock – The Julie Clark Public Interest Law Fellowship
  • Kelsey Snapp – The Dicky Grigg Public Interest Law Fellowship

    • Summer 2010

  • Kristian Aguilar - The Chip Brees Public Interest Law Fellowship
  • Robert Brothers - The Michelle Cheng Public Interest Law Fellowship
  • Jessica Cohen - The Eden Harrington Public Interest Law Fellowship
  • Silvia Garcia - The Tom Harkness Public Interest Law Fellowship
  • Olga Goldberg - The Mack Kidd Public Interest Law Fellowship
  • George Vallas - The Scott Ozmun Public Interest Law Fellowship

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    Related links:

     

    For more information, contact justicecenter@law.utexas.edu.

     

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