Leadership For Justice Fellowship

2010 Post-Graduate Fellowship

Application deadline: March 22, 2010

The Access to Justice Institute (ATJI) announces the 2010 Leadership For Justice Fellowship. The Leadership For Justice (LFJ) Fellowship strives to build upon the leadership capacity of future lawyers who are committed to social justice by creating opportunities for new lawyers to work on behalf of traditionally underserved populations and causes.

The Fellowship provides a salary of $40,000 for one year to one Seattle University (SU) law graduate to work with a "host organization" on a social justice project.

The social justice project should be designed in collaboration with a host organization and should involve effective advocacy on behalf of underserved or marginalized individuals or groups, or address issues that are not adequately represented by some aspect of the legal system. The project should also provide the Fellow with the opportunity to exercise leadership and introduce new legal services or significantly expand upon services already provided by the organization. Finally, the project should be designed to include the potential for opportunities for SU law students to do meaningful social justice work. The Fellow will work with ATJI to develop, offer and oversee these student opportunities.

All applications for a Leadership For Justice Fellowship will be judged according to the quality of the proposed project, the qualifications of the individual fellowship candidate, and the suitability of the host organization.

• What is a "Host Organization"?
• Host Organization Evaluation Criteria
• Project Evaluation Criteria
• Candidate Evaluation Criteria
• Tips on Developing a Project
• The Fellowship Application Process and Instructions

What is a "Host Organization"?

A host organization is a non-profit organization committed to social justice that has been granted 501(c)(3) status by the Internal Revenue Service. The host organization is the LFJ Fellow's employer. Its role is to provide training, supervision, benefits, and other support that enables the LFJ Fellow to successfully carry out the goals of the project. Host organizations will also be encouraged to pay any additional funds needed to provide parity with the starting salary of a staff attorney with that organization.

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Host Organization Evaluation Criteria

• The 501(c)(3) organization's commitment and ability to provide training, support and supervision throughout the LFJ project
• How the project fits into organizational priorities; and
• The organization's commitment and ability to provide health insurance and other standard employee benefits to the LFJ Fellow during Fellowship year.

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Project Evaluation Criteria

• The project must involve legal advocacy on behalf of marginalized or underrepresented individuals or groups, or on issues that are not adequately represented by some aspect of our legal system. Advocacy may entail a wide range of approaches, including, but not limited to, community legal education and training, organizing, direct legal services, impact litigation, transactional work, legislative advocacy and policy work.
• Because the goals of the program are to address unmet legal needs by creating new social justice positions and to give Fellows the opportunity to exercise leadership, the project must introduce new services to address unmet legal needs or expand upon greatly needed services already provided by the organization.
• Preference will be given to projects that are designed to make the greatest impact (e.g., number of people served, long-term effect, depth and breadth of improvement), that create programs that can be replicated in other areas of the state or country, and that are sustainable with minimal or dependable funding.
• Projects in the area of indigent criminal defense should support legal services delivery mechanisms that are not adequately funded by government funding, and/or be designed to impact major criminal justice issues.
• Projects can address the legal needs of individuals or communities inside or outside the United States. In accord with the School of Law's strong commitment to supporting the Washington State equal justice community, preference may be given to projects within the State of Washington.
• The project should involve working with the Access to Justice Institute to develop potential opportunities for SU law students to contribute to furthering the goals of the project in a meaningful way.

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Candidate Evaluation Criteria

• The candidate is an SU law student who will graduate in May 2010 or in December 2009. [While the Fellowship term may begin anytime after graduation, it is encouraged that the Fellow have taken the bar exam before starting the Fellowship. Applicants are advised to discuss this matter with their prospective host organization.]
• The candidate has a demonstrated commitment to social justice law generally, and specifically to the community with which s/he plans to work.
• The candidate possesses the appropriate professional, volunteer and/or subject matter expertise indicating that s/he has the relevant skills and initiative to make the proposed project a success. Traditional measures of academic achievement, such as grades and Law Review, are not relevant to the LFJ Committee selection process.
• The candidate evidences the commitment and ability to fulfill the one-year term envisioned by the program.
• The candidate brings a diverse perspective to his or her project and to the legal profession. Seattle University School of Law strongly encourages applications from candidates reflecting diverse cultural and experiential backgrounds, people with disabilities, and individuals of diverse ethnic, racial, religious, and/or socioeconomic backgrounds, work experiences, national origins, sexual orientations, and ages.

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Tips on Developing a Project

• Envision your dream job. Ideally, what would you like to do for the next year?
• Research prospective host organizations. You will be working closely with a host organization to implement your project. Find an organization that shares your values and goals. Internships, exernships, and volunteer opportunities at such organizations are a great way to identify a potential host organization.
• Approach the organization. Pitch your idea and discuss the details of your project and the organization's ability to provide benefits (including health insurance and retirement) and salary parity.
• Work with the host organization to develop a project proposal. Once the organization has agreed to host the project, work closely with it to develop the details of the proposal and identify specific strategies. Choose a project that will be mutually beneficial to you and to the organization.
• Demonstrate a pressing need in a specific client community. Paint a picture of the particular problem in the specific client community you aim to serve.
• Know your community - obtain stakeholder "buy-in." Demonstrate your understanding of the target community. Include personal connections to the community, if applicable.
• Propose realistic and targeted strategies. Dream big, but plan realistically. Will you be able to achieve your goals?
• Propose a project, not a staff position. Demonstrate the long-term impact and sustainability of the project. How will your project have a lasting impact on the community?
• Demonstrate your commitment to social justice work. Describe your experience. Why are you the right person for the job?

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The Fellowship Application Process and Instructions

• Applications will be accepted until 4 p.m. on March 22, 2010. If mailed, Applications must be post-marked on March 22, 2010.
• Applications will be reviewed by a Fellowship Selection Committee comprised of one SU Faculty member, ATJI Director, ATJI Associate Director, CPD Associate Director, and members of the Equal Justice community.
• Selected candidates will be interviewed by the Selection Committee in April 2010.
• The LFJ Fellow must file bi-annual status reports with the Director and/or Associate Director of the Access to Justice Institute.

The Application will include:

• Completed Application Form. The entire Application Form (including the resume) should be in 12 point font and should not exceed 12 pages in length.
• Three letters of recommendation (only one of which may be from a Seattle University faculty member). These recommendation letters should be submitted in envelopes that have been sealed and signed (over the seal) by the recommender. These letters should accompany the Application Form.

All Applications (Application Form and letters of recommendation) must be mailed or hand-delivered to:

Access to Justice Institute
Seattle University School of Law
901 12th Avenue, Sullivan Hall
P.O. Box 222000
Seattle, WA 98122-4340
ATTN: Fellowship Selection Committee.

Applicants will receive e-mail confirmation of receipt of their Applications.

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If you have any questions about the Fellowship and/or the Fellowship Application process, contact ATJI Associate Director, Monika Batra Kashyap at batram@seattleu.edu.