Summer Public Interest Fellowship Program

Don McMillen at the DC PDS Office University of the District of Columbia
David A. Clarke School of Law

Summer Public Interest Fellowship Program

The University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law (UDC-DCSL) is the District’s only public law school. Uniquely, our faculty is committed to training the District's next generation of leaders and to preparing students for careers in the public interest, public service, and in public policy reform — preferably within the District of Columbia.

Experience tells us that summer jobs are among the most effective training grounds for building student expertise and commitment, make valuable professional contacts, and provide vitally needed legal services — often to individuals who otherwise could not afford a lawyer. Unfortunately, often the very organizations most engaged in this type of work, and most in need of student support, cannot afford to pay students for their work. To address this operational paradox, several years ago, our School of Law began to provide Summer Public Interest Fellowships.

Charlotte Brookins Hudson and Student Michelle Harewood Based on the success of this experience, the School of Law has now made a commitment to fund Fellowships for all qualifying first year students – and for as many second year students as possible – every summer. Each year, the students organize an auction to raise funds, but the School of Law relies on the generosity of its alumni and friends to fund the bulk of the Fellowship Program, particularly as we attempt to keep pace with the growth in size of the first-year class.

Students receiving the Fellowships work full-time, for a minimum of ten weeks, in otherwise uncompensated legal work in support of a public interest, governmental or judicial office. Currently, the School of Law provides Fellows with stipends ranging from $2,750 to $3,000. The maximum stipend works out to about $7.50 per hour — less than the District's minimum wage for 2008. Given the fact that students often continue their work without financial compensation, their effective compensation may be even lower. The School of Law will therefore continue in our fundraising efforts in order to increase the stipend.

To donate to the EJW Summer Public Interest Fellowship Program, send your tax-deductible contribution made out to the "DC School of Law Foundation" to:

Shelley Broderick, Dean
UDC David A. Clarke School of Law
4200 Connecticut Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20008

Past placements include:

ACLU of the National Capital Area
Amnesty International
Anti-Defamation League
Arab-American Anti-Discrimination Council
Center for Immigration Law & Practice
Council of the District of Columbia
District of Columbia Office of the Attorney General
District of Columbia Office on Human Rights
District of Columbia Superior Court
Government Accountability Project
Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
Legal Aid Society
Legal Counsel for the Elderly
Manna, Inc.
Neighborhood Legal Services Program
Partnership for Civil Justice
Public Defender Service of the District of Columbia
U.S. Department of Justice
U.S. District Court
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
UDC-DCSL HIV/AIDS Clinic

Need A Fine Fellow?

In order to be eligible to host a UDC-DCSL EJW Summer Fellow, an organization must be a non-profit, government, judicial or legislative entity, the work done by the Fellow must be legal or law-related, and the work must be supervised by an attorney.

If your organization—or one you know— meets these criteria and would like a Summer fellow, please contact Dena Bauman at 202-274-5722 or dbauman @ udc.edu.

NOTE: Students ARE permitted to receive matching stipends provided by their host organization or third parties for their work.

For Students

The 2008 Public Interest Fellowship Packet (.pdf) contains the following required documents: Program Requirements and Application, the Mid-Summer Certification Form, and the Final Certification Form. If you have questions after reading the directions, please contact Dena Bauman at dbaumanudc.edu or (202) 274-5722.