Fellowships for Young Lawyers and Law Students

Dozens of young lawyers and law students are honored each year through ABA member groups’ awards. These ABA awards recognize public service, professionalism, community involvement in the legal profession, and much more.

Other Young Lawyer and Law Student Opportunities

Career-advancing fellowships, internships & clerkships. Professional recognition through awards and writing competitions. Financial assistance like funded travel and scholarships. Each year the ABA offers 100+ opportunities and programs for young lawyers and law students.

Commission on Homelessness & Poverty — John J. Curtin, Jr. Fellowship

• Sponsoring ABA Entity: Center for Public Interest Law
• Description: The Curtin Justice Fund Legal Internship Program is managed by the ABA Commission on Homelessness and Poverty. The Program will pay a $3,500 stipend to three law students who spend the summer months working for a bar association or legal services program designed to prevent homelessness or assist homeless or indigent clients or their advocates. The Legal Internship Program will provide much-needed legal assistance to organizations serving the under-represented, and give students direct experience in a public interest forum. In this way it aims to help homeless clients and to encourage careers in the law that further the goals of social justice.
• Deadline: March 24, 2023
• Who is eligible: Law Students

Health Law Section —Diversity and Inclusion Fellowship Program

• Sponsoring ABA Entity: Health Law
• Description: The ABA Health Law Section Diversity & Inclusion Fellowship Award will be awarded to up to 5 Young Lawyers who meet ABA Goal III Diversity criteria, are actively practicing health law, and interested in expanding their career development opportunities through networking within the Health Law Section.
• Deadline: April 17, 2023
• Who is eligible: Law Students

Antitrust Law —Young Lawyer/Economist Representive Program

• Sponsoring ABA Entity: Antitrust Law
• Description: YLRs and YERs are young lawyers and economists -- practitioners who are under 36 years of age or have been practicing for fewer than 10 years -- who are paired with one of the Section’s 37 Committees, Publications, and Task Forces. There are also roles for dedicated international and CLE program YLRs. These individuals work as part of the committee leadership in creating content, carrying out programming and engaging in membership outreach.
• Deadline: Applications typically close each year in March.
• Who is eligible: Young Lawyers, Young Economists

Business Law — Business Law Fellows

• Sponsoring ABA Entity: Business Law
• Description: For over 20 years, the Fellows Program has represented the ABA Business Law Section’s commitment to encouraging the participation of diverse lawyers in Section activities. Through the Fellows Program, young lawyers, lawyers of color, lawyers with disabilities and LGBT lawyers are provided a springboard to substantive leadership roles within the Section through unique leadership roles, mentorships and subsidized attendance at Business Law Section Meetings.
  
  Applicants must have demonstrated leadership experience in the ABA, the Business Law Section, and/or leadership experience in a bar organization for young lawyers, lawyers of color, LGBT lawyers, or lawyers with disabilities. Additionally, applicants must fall into one of these categories: Young lawyer (under 40 years of age or in practice for less than 10 years) Lawyer of color LGBT lawyer Lawyer with a disability Ideal candidates will be in at least their 5th year of practice or higher.
• Deadline: Applications typically close each year in May.
  
• Who is eligible: Law Students, Young Lawyers

Criminal Justice  — ABA Legal Education Police Practices Consortium

• Sponsoring ABA Entity: Criminal Justice
• Description: Fellows of the ABA Legal Education Police Practices Consortium are nominated by participating schools and will conduct research and collect data from their local policing, civic, and legal agencies, to further inform the work of the Consortium. There are two classes of fellows every year, one in the fall (August-November) and the other in spring (January-April).
  
• Deadline: Applications typically close each year in December.
  
• Who is eligible: Law Students

International Law — Diversity Fellowship

• Sponsoring ABA Entity: International Law
• Description: The goal of this program is to give 3-4 young lawyers of diverse backgrounds including lawyers of color, different race and ethnic backgrounds, lawyers with disabilities, and lesbian, gay bisexual and transgender lawyers – LGBT – an opportunity to become involved in the substantive work of the Section, while developing into future leaders. This is in line with the ABA’s Goal III – to promote full and equal participation in the association, our profession, and the justice system by all persons and to eliminate bias in the legal profession and the justice system.
• Deadline: Applications typically close each year in June.
• Who is eligible: Young Lawyers

Labor & Employment Law — Young Lawyers Fellowship Program

• Sponsoring ABA Entity: Labor & Employment Law
• Description: The Section of Labor and Employment Law is pleased to announce that it is accepting applications for its Young Lawyers Division Fellowship Program. This program is designed to give young lawyers, who are Section members, the opportunity to become familiar with and actively involved in the Section.
• Deadline: Applications typically close each year in August.
• Who is eligible: Young Lawyers

Law Practice — Fellows Program

• Sponsoring ABA Entity: Law Practice
• Description: Fellowship provides a chance to make lasting connections with industry thought leaders in the business of practicing law. The Fellowship Program expands LP's commitment to recruiting and developing new and diverse lawyers, including members of the ABA Young Lawyers Division (YLD), into future leaders of LP and the ABA.
• Deadline: Applications typically close each year in June.
• Who is eligible: Young Lawyers

Real Property Trust & Estate Law — Fellows Program

• Sponsoring ABA Entity: Real Property Trust & Estate Law
• Description: The Section of Real Property, Trust and Estate Law (RPTE) Fellows Program encourages the active involvement and participation of young lawyers in Section activities. The goal of the program is to give young lawyers an opportunity to become involved in the substantive work of the RPTE Section, while developing into future leaders.
• Deadline: Applications typically close each year in June.
• Who is eligible: Young Lawyers

State & Local Government Law — Elizabeth Clark Young Lawyers Fellowship

• Sponsoring ABA Entity: State & Local Government Law
• Description: Elizabeth Clark was a highly respected leader of the State and Local Government Law Section with a passion for mentoring our young attorneys of color. As senior counsel at Allen Matkins in San Francisco, Elizabeth focused on renewable energy and sustainable development while dedicating a significant amount of her time to pro bono activities.
  
  In her memory, we have put in place a prestigious fellowship with the explicit objective to profoundly sustain Elizabeth's commitment to bringing about a more inclusive legal profession. The Elizabeth Clark Young Lawyers Fellowship will be awarded to a young lawyer whose past efforts and accomplishments show great promise for excellence in the practice of public law.
• Deadline: July 31, 2023
• Who is eligible: Young Lawyers

Solo, Small Firm & General Practice Division — Diversity Fellowship Program

• Sponsoring ABA Entity: Solo Small Firm & General Practice Division
• Description: The program aims to promote diversity within the Division and the ABA, while providing leadership opportunities within the Division for historically underrepresented groups, including racial and ethnic minorities, women, LGBT individuals, and persons with disabilities.
• Deadline: Applications typically close each year in April.
  
• Who is eligible: Any lawyer or judge, who is a member of the Division, with a diverse background and experiences as defined by ABA Goal III may apply.

Solo, Small Firm & General Practice Division —Young Lawyers Fellowship

• Sponsoring ABA Entity: Solo Small Firm & General Practice Division
• Description: GPSolo is committed to increasing the participation of young lawyers in Division activities. This program will provide young lawyers the opportunity to become actively and integrally involved in the Division’s meetings and committees. These fellows will receive training and assignment to a mentor within the Division to assist them with becoming acquainted with the Solo, Small Firm and General Practice programs and services.
• Deadline: Applications typically close each year in April.
• Who is eligible: Young Lawyers

Taxation — Christine A. Brunswick Public Service Fellowship

• Sponsoring ABA Entity: Taxation
• Description: The Christine A. Brunswick Public Service Fellowship which provides recent law school graduates an opportunity to providing tax-related legal assistance to underserved communities. The Fellowship program was developed to address the need for tax legal assistance, and to foster an interest in tax-related public service among those individuals who participate.
• Deadline: Applications typically close each year over the summer.
• Who is eligible: Young Lawyers

Taxation — John S. Nolan Fellowship

• Sponsoring ABA Entity: Taxation
• Description: Nolan Fellows are tax lawyers who are actively involved in the Section and have demonstrated leadership qualities and a commitment to the Section’s mission. The one-year fellowship includes waiver of meeting registration fees and, when in-person meetings resume, assistance with travel to meetings.
• Deadline: Applications typically close each year in March.
• Who is eligible: Young Lawyers

Taxation — Loretta Collins Argrett Fellowship

• Sponsoring ABA Entity: Taxation
• Description: The Loretta Collins Argrett Fellowship is a three-year program open to any individual with a diverse background and/or a demonstrated commitment to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in the tax bar. The goal of the Fellowship is to identify, engage, and infuse historically underrepresented individuals into the Section, create a more accessible, equitable, and inclusive pathway into Section leadership, and support the expansion, diversification, and inclusiveness of the tax profession to create a space and sense of belonging for those looking to become involved with the Section.
• Deadline: Applications typically close each year in April.
• Who is eligible: Young Lawyers

Taxation — Tax Analysts Public Service Fellowship

• Sponsoring ABA Entity: Taxation
• Description: A newly created two-year Fellowship that offers practicing tax attorneys the opportunity to work in public interest tax law with a nonprofit organization or government entity.
• Deadline: Applications typically close each year in July.
• Who is eligible: Young Lawyers

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