Overview of Postgraduate Fellowships

Postgraduate Fellowships are essentially grants to allow law graduates to work in entry-level public interest organizations or government agencies. There are several different types of fellowships, including organization-based, project-based, law firm sponsored, government honors, entrepreneurial, and academic.

Most fellowships last from one to two years following graduation. Applications for organization-based fellowships are made directly to a non-profit or government agency for work at that organization. Project-based fellowships and some law firm fellowships require an applicant to partner with an organization and together submit a project to the funder. Entrepreneurial fellowships require an applicant to create a new entity to work in a specific issue area.

Links to resources and available fellowships are listed below. Michigan Law students can access the Fellowship Library for assistance in figuring out the steps to obtain a public interest fellowship. If you are a MLS alumnus interested in using these resources please e-mail OCP for access.

Resources

• Michigan Law's Job Bulletin is a posting board where you can search for post-graduate public service fellowships.
• Chapter 5 of Making A Difference: A Law Student's Guide to Public Service, Volume I: Public Interest Careers contains funding information. 
• PSLawNet  is a posting board where you can search for hundreds of post-graduate fellowships by practice and geographic areas.
• Harvard Law School Office of Public Interest - Calendar of domestic fellowships.
• For a comprehensive list of fellowships for international work, please see the International Practice Area web page.
• Foundation Center maintains a large database where you can search for foundations that fund in your practice area. 
• Government Honors Attorney Programs (entry level government positions) are covered on OCP's Government web page.
• Pathways to Public Service Service Jobs: Fellowships and Clerkships