In addition to coordinating a series of student pro bono projects, the director of the Equal Justice Program also serves as the law school’s public interest law counselor. Responsibilities associated with this office include helping students find and pursue permanent employment opportunities in the public sector including attorney fellowships, graduate, teaching fellowships; as well as general career services support for students hoping to work in the public sector.

Publications

Public Interest Fellowship Application (65 kb)

This year, students have reported that they are receiving funding for summer work in the following offices:

House of Ruth or Marjorie Cook Domestic Violence Legal Clinic
Equal Rights Center
NAACP LDF
Office of the Georgia Capital Defender
ACLU, Voting Rights Project
American Bar Association Center for Children and the Law
Archdiocesan Legal Network
Atlanta Legal Aid Society
Neighborhood Legal Services
ACLU, New Mexico
Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia
US Attorneys Office for the District of Columbia

Funding for Public Interest Summer Jobs

Howard has several sources of funding for students who secure placements in the public sector.

Dean’s Public Interest Fellowship
Each year, the Dean offers 3-5 Fellowship Awards to HUSL students who are pursuing public interest opportunities over the summer. This award is open to first and second year students in good standing at the law school. This year’s awards were for $5000.

HPILS Public Interest Auction Fellowship Award
Each spring the Howard Public Interest Law Society holds a reception and auction to raise funds. This year, the auction fellowship was able to grant funding to every student who applied. Awards from the 2006 auction ranged from $1500 – 4000.

Sonnenchein Fellowship
Beginning in the summer of 2006, the law firm of Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal will fund two Howard Law students to work in the public sector through its Sonnenschein Scholars program. This year’s Scholars will work at the County Counsel’s Office in Orange County, California and with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

Howrey HELPS Fellowship
Each summer, the Washington, DC office of Howrey Simon Arnold & White, LLP, through its Howrey Externs for Legal Pro bono Service (HELPS), awards a grant of $4000 to one first year Howard University Law School student to work full-time (at least ten weeks) at the Archdiocesan Legal Network. The Archdiocesan Legal Network (“ALN”) provides intake for indigent and low-income residents of Washington, DC and Maryland who have civil legal problems in areas such as family law, landlord-tenant, public benefits, and consumer debt. The ALN places these cases with their network of volunteer attorneys, who provide pro bono legal representation. The Archdiocesan Legal Network also provides civil law education seminars for the community on topics such as family law. Interns for the ALN will coordinate the intake and assist in screening clients, participate in outreach to the volunteer law firms, and assist the Director with special projects

Equal Justice America Fellowship
Howard first year students are eligible for one of two $3500 fellowships offered by Virginia-based Equal Justice America. To apply for the awards, sponsored by the Washington, DC offices of Dewey Ballantine and Vinson and Elkins, students must work for an organization that provides direct civil legal services for low-income residents of Washington, DC.

Crowell and Moring Public Interest Fellowships
The Washington, DC Law firm of Crowell and Moring sponsors two Howard second year students work on projects with non-profit organizations in the city. The first fellowship is with the Affordable Housing Initiative with the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless. The second fellowship is with one of Crowell and Moring’s many pro bono partners here in Washington.

Through a monthly newsletter, Opps, students are kept abreast of fellowships, positions and other opportunities in the public interest. The Equal Justice Program director serves as the law school’s public interest law counselor for students interested in public interest law.

To Set a Appointment:

Please submit e-mail form

revised January 18, 2008