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Postgraduate Public Interest Fellowships

Postgraduate Public Interest Fellowships

Fellowships collectively are the largest source of entry-level public interest jobs in non-profit organizations, government agencies, public interest law firms and clinical academic settings. Fellowships are short-term (usually one or two-year), full-time public interest positions for new or recent law graduates. Many organizations hire fellows for permanent positions at the conclusion of fellowships. Fellowships offer both substantive and geographic flexibility and provide excellent experience and exposure, which can be critical to finding subsequent public interest employment. The following pages can help you begin to understand and identify some of the most common fellowship options.

  • Project fellowships are designed to fund the creation of new, innovative public interest law projects. Applicants must develop a project proposal, usually in conjunction with a host organization. Skadden and Equal Justice Works are the most well-known project fellowship sponsors.
  • Organizational fellowships are established positions within existing organizations offered either at predetermined intervals (e.g., every one or two years) or as funding allows. Hundreds of organizational fellowships are available every year within non-profit organizations, agencies, as well as a handful of for-profit law firms.
  • Clinical teaching fellowships are short-term positions with law school clinical programs. Most combine public interest practice with academic study or teaching, and some offer a degree at the end of the fellowship. These positions are rare for new graduates and typically require 3-5 years of practice experience.
  • Georgetown Partner Fellowships are opportunities for Georgetown Law JD graduates from the current class year, created in partnership with non-profit or local government offices. Specifically, Georgetown will provide $22,500 toward a one-year fellowship with an eligible host organization. The goal of the fellowships is to help create fellowships that could not exist without this funding and support our new graduates by opening doors for them to start their career in the public sector. Historically, Georgetown has supported Fellowships at entities such as: DC Office of the Attorney General, D.C. Office of Human Rights, Environmental Working Group, and the Humane Society of the US. You can find additional information in our brochure, Georgetown Partner Fellowship Program Overview for Employers. 
  • The Georgetown Justice Fellowship Program funds opportunities for Georgetown Law JD graduates from the current class year, created in partnership with non-profit or local government offices. Specifically, Georgetown will provide $23,635 toward a one-year fellowship with an eligible host organization. The goal of the fellowships is to help create fellowships that could not exist without this funding and support our new graduates by opening doors for them to start their career in the public sector. You can find additional information in our brochures: Georgetown Justice Fellowship Program Overview for Employers and Georgetown Justice Fellowship Program Overview for Students.
  • Dean’s Public Interest Fellowships (DPIF) Georgetown University Law Center is pleased to offer the Dean’s Public Interest Fellowships for 2025 JD graduates who have secured a year-long fellowships that are otherwise unable to be funded. DPIFs are designed to help our 2025 JD graduates launch their careers at organizations that cannot fund their own fellows and to give our graduates a chance to apply their law school training, gain experience, network and open doors for future employment opportunities. Through this Fellowship, Georgetown may award up to five fellowship awards of  $50,000. To apply for a DPIF, applicants must meet the eligibility criteria outlined below and submit a complete application here. Applications must be submitted by 11:59 EDT on Tuesday, April 1st.
  • State AG Fellowships Georgetown Law will provide partial funding for a first year salary for recent Georgetown JD students graduating in May 2025 to work at a State Attorney General Office. State AG offices will be required to contribute to the Fellow’s Salary, to hire the Fellow for a full one-year term (not as a contractor or volunteer) and train the Fellow as any other entry level or honors attorney. Students are responsible for finding their own placement, but are welcome to reach out to Ruby Sheikh (ris6@georgetown.edu) for possible assistance with contacting State AG offices where Georgetown Law alumni work. You can find additional information in our brochure, Georgetown State Attorney General Fellowship Flyer for Employers.
  • DC Affordable Law Firm (DCALF), provides a fellowship experience for new graduates to serve as staff attorneys, providing affordable legal services to DC residents in a breadth of practice areas, including family law, immigration, and probate law.  Additionally, Fellows enrolled in this 15-month program will receive an LL.M in Advocacy and 12 weeks of intensive subject area and trial skills training.
  • Additional Resources: Georgetown Law students can click here to access a regularly updated list of postgraduate public sector opportunities starting in the fall of 2025. (Please disregard the first two tabs.) Additionally, you can click here to access a list of postgraduate opportunities that the OPICS team shared throughout the 2023 – 2024 academic year in its postgraduate opportunities listserv. (Please disregard the first two tabs.) If you are not affiliated with Georgetown, you may view the external version of the list from 2022 – 2023. These lists include fellowship funders, organizational fellowships, and government positions. Neither list is not exhaustive and they do not contain every public sector opportunity or position that was available for graduates. Jennie Netburn is OPICS’ primary fellowship counselor and sends regular listserv messages to students interested in exploring this path. OPICS also hosts information sessions and can connect you with former fellows. Email or meet with Jennie for all things fellowship related, including reviewing your application materials and mock interviews.