Guaranteed Summer Funding: EJF

Equal Justice Foundation (EJF) summer funding is available to J.D. students engaging in unpaid law-related work for a public interest organization or governmental entity (including judicial internships). For summer 2013, EJF fellowships are available for $3,250 for six week, full-time internships. The program will run from June 3, 2013 through the end of the summer payroll. Note that many internship providers require an 8-12 week commitment, even though the EJF commitment is only six weeks. A longer commitment is acceptable and encouraged under the EJF rules. 

Full-time means as observed by the internship provider. EJF recipients do not need to make up hours for holidays observed by the internship provider, such as July 4th.

Table of Contents

Eligibility
Responsibilities of Applicants
Responsibilities of Recipients
Externships
External Funding and Other Employment
Internships Abroad
Information for International Students
Public Interest Law Firms

ELIGIBILITY

Applicants must be J.D. students with a current status of 1L, 1E, 2E, 2L, or 3E, or joint or concurrent degree candidates graduating no sooner than December 2013. Projects must involve law-related work for a public interest organization or governmental entity. Outside sources of funding for EJF-funded projects or payment for other work are permitted to the extent such funding complies with the Policy on Outside Funding and Other Employment (see below). Students may receive EJF for multiple summers (i.e., 1L and 2L summers), as long as they fit the eligibility qualifications each summer.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF EJF APPLICANTS

All EJF Fellowship Applicants:

1. Must complete an initial online application by Monday, February 25, 2013 at 5:00 pm.  (If you failed to submit the application on time, please email opicsfunding@law.georgetown.edu.)
   
2. Must attend an EJF Information Session or view the Session Video. Students are responsible for knowing the information provided on this website and at the Information Session, and adhering to the deadlines and rules. 
   
3. Must complete three volunteer hours for the Equal Justice Foundation, one hour of which must be a phone banking hour. 
4. Must deliver a hard copy of a FINAL APPLICATION packet in person to OPICS (McDonough 212) by Wednesday, April 10th at 5:00 pm. A completed application packet includes:
   
5. 1. Final Application
   2. Program Participation Agreement (signed by employer)
   3. Fellowship Agreement (signed by student)
   4. Assumption of Risk Form
   5. "Working with Minors" Policy Certification
      
6. Must have a confirmed offer from an eligible organization or submit a request for an extension by email to opicsfunding@law.georgetown.edu by April 10th.
   
7. Must complete all payroll paperwork at a required payroll session.  Dates of payroll sessions will be announced in spring 2013.
   
8. Must, if traveling abroad, complete and submit all necessary international travel paperwork. See Internships Abroad, above, for more information.

If any of the steps listed above are not completed by the specified deadlines, funding may be unavailable and/or delayed and/or students may not be able to receive direct deposit.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF EJF RECIPIENTS

All EJF Fellowship recipients:

1. Must submit a reflection paper on their summer public interest experiences.  
2. Must submit a summer evaluation on Symplicity before classes begin in the fall for students in subsequent years to learn about public sector organizations. 
3. Must agree to have his/her name and employer name provided to other students via the OPICS website.
4. Must turn in a record of work experience, signed by his/her supervisor, and any other paperwork required by OPICS, before classes begin.

EXTERNSHIPS

Students may elect to participate in a summer externship in the Washington, D.C. area and receive course credit instead of receiving EJF funding. Students cannot receive both externship credit and EJF funding during the summer (even for different internships). If a student elects to receive at least 3 credits during the summer (from a 2-credit externship and a second course, or from a 3-credit externship), s/he may be eligible to receive loans for tuition and/or living expenses. Tuition for summer externships will be waived for full-time students.

POLICY ON OUTSIDE FUNDING AND OTHER EMPLOYMENT

EJF funding cannot be combined with other Georgetown-related summer funding, including the Equal Justice America Fellowships, and EJF funding cannot be combined with any other salary or source of funding from the University such as an on-campus job.

Applicants may receive additional funding for summer employment/internships (other than any of the sources noted above), up to a TOTAL FROM ALL SOURCES (including EJF) of $7,250 for 1Ls, 1Es, and 2Es and $8,250 for 2Ls and 3Es .

INTERNSHIPS ABROAD

All students traveling on Law Center-sponsored travel (including EJF and/or the International Internship Program) must complete an online travel registration.

In addition, all students contemplating Law Center-facilitated travel to a country under a U.S. State Department Travel Warning must apply in advance for approval from the Office of Transnational Programs. Please visit the Office of Transnational Program's website for details. Students must also comply with the University's Infectious Disease Travel Policy. Note that the approval process may take a substantial amount of time, so you should contact OTP as soon as possible.

Students must complete an online travel registration prior to submitting your final EJF application to OPICS (your final EJF application is due by Wednesday, April 10, 2013, at 5:00 pm).

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS currently in the US Holding a Non-Immigrant Visa Status (such as F1 Student or J1 Student Status), please note the following: 1) if you will be traveling outside of and then reentering the US, there may be reentry concerns or other matters impacting your situation of which you are not aware; and 2) if you will be employed, providing a service, or volunteering in the United States, you may need work authorization from the US government, even if YOU are not paid. Also, Optional Practical Training work authorization from the US government is required for you to receive any compensation for off-campus employment, including EJF funding, except when the worksite is outside the US.  The processing for work authorization from the government can take three months, so plan to begin the process in February.  Even if the worksite is outside the US and you do not need work authorization, you still will need a social security number to receive EJF funds.

Please contact Indira Dingledine, the Georgetown Law Center Visa Coordinator, for more information. She can be reached at img4@law.georgetown.edu or (202) 662-9319.

"PUBLIC INTEREST" LAW FIRMS

Public interest law firms are organized as for-profit entities, but advancing the public interest is one of their primary purposes – i.e., it's a core mission rather than a secondary concern. The clients and matters these firms work on typically more closely resemble those handled by a not-for-profit organization or government agency than a private firm.

We approve 'public interest law firms' for EJF funding only upon receipt of a letter on the firm's letterhead confirming the following:

• The law firm is a predominantly public interest firm (at least 51% of time is spent on public interest matters);
• The student will be working solely on public interest matters;
• The student's time will not be billed;
• The firm will not submit the student's time in a later application for attorneys' fees; and
• The firm will not pay any of its similarly-situated student interns during the summer.

The firm must agree to ALL of these points in writing.

Questions, comments and concerns about the EJF summer funding process may be addressed to: OPICS at opicsfunding@law.georgetown.edu or 202-662-9655.