Post-Law School Fellowships (Externally Funded)

 

EFF typically has the capacity to host no more than two externally funded, post-law school fellows (roughly September-September) on our litigation team. By "externally funded," we refer to those fellowships funded by some entity other than EFF and to which the candidates must apply directly and must sometimes do so having identified a host organization. (Should EFF have its own funding for a fellowship, that position will be posted as an EFF job opening.)

We invite inquiries from law students interested in pursuing such opportunities. Before reaching out, please review the following guidelines:

 

  1. All fellowships will be litigation-focused, rather than policy or research-focused. For that reason, we require that an applicant plan to take a bar exam prior to starting the fellowship, though applicants need not have yet received their results or have passed a bar exam.
  2. Interested applicants should investigate external funding opportunities and contact EFF only after they have identified a likely funding source. Unfortunately, EFF is not able to assist applicants in identifying a funding source.
  3. Our very strong preference is for fellowships that do not limit the cases or matters the fellow may work on at EFF rather than fellowships that require a project or special focus.
  4. As a result, we will consider project-based fellowships in only exceptional situations. If the applicant wants to pursue a fellowship that requires a project or a special focus, the applicant should present a fairly well-developed proposal for us to consider. We do not maintain our own list of potential fellowship proposals and are not able to brainstorm from scratch with a potential applicant about proposals. We recommend reviewing EFF's litigation docket and blogposts for ideas. Once an applicant has worked up a fairly detailed and specific concept, EFF will review it let the applicant know if EFF might be interested.
  5. EFF reviews applications during two time periods. We understand that some fellowships require an earlier commitment by a host organization and that these dates exclude such fellowships.
  • Between November 1 and November 15 of the calendar year prior to the fellowship start date, with the expectation that the fellowship will commence in the Fall of the following year. Applications to be considered in this time period must be submitted by October 31 and EFF will aim to communicate decisions to applicants no later than November 15.
  • If we have not filled our fellowship slots with applications submitted during that first period, we will then consider applications between January 15 and 31 in the calendar year of the fellow's graduation, with the expectation that the fellowship will commence in the Fall of that same year. Applications for this round must be received no later than January 14.
  • If we still do not fill our available fellowship slots, we may open a third review period, and if so we will post that information here.

To apply, please submit the following materials to EFF's Civil Liberties Director, David Greene:

  1. A cover letter or email detailing your specific interest in being a fellow at EFF and our litigation docket. We love cover letters! They are a great way for us to learn about you and assess your writing skills. So please write it yourself and forgo templates or automated assistance.
  2. Details and other information about the funding source you have identified, including the funding amount, any applicable deadlines, and a link to or copy of the host agreement. This information may be submitted as part of the cover letter or separately.
  3. A brief litigation writing sample.
  4. A resume that highlights your relevant experience and interests. An academic, clinical, or internship-related letter of recommendation may also be submitted, but is not required.

Please direct any questions to David Greene.