Fellowships and Funding

Harvard Law students have access to a wide array of funding sources to support public interest work during law school and after graduation. HLS students and recent graduates are very fortunate to be able to receive funding exclusive to Harvard Law students, funding from Harvard University for students at the various Harvard schools, and external funding sources. HLS has a number of fellowships that provide financial support to HLS 3Ls and recent graduates entering a wide range of public interest jobs. HLS guarantees summer funding to all students pursuing public service work during their summers.

There are also many external sources of funding that will support postgraduate public service work, as well as a Fellowship Database that lists postgraduate public service, academic fellowships, and social entrepreneurial grants. Information on fellowships can also be found in chapter 9 of our Job Search Guide. We provide a fellowships calendar (.pdf) online as well, but it is essential to double check all deadlines with the organizations' updated websites. There is also information on postgraduate fellowships on PSLawNet, a national database of information about public service opportunities hosted by the National Association of Law Placement (NALP).

HLS students interested in pursuing postgraduate fellowships are encouraged to meet with OPIA's Fellowship Director, Judy Murciano. Judy has been advising on fellowships for more than 16 years. She has been incredibly successful at helping HLS students land wonderful public service and traveling fellowships. She has also been able to assist our graduates become social entrepreneurs by helping them obtain seed money for independent projects and new non profits. In 2005-2006, HLS students and recent grads landed over 20 public interest fellowships, including an unprecedented 9 Skadden Fellowships, along with international and academic fellowships. In 2006-2007, HLS grads won over 30 fellowships and continued to lead all other law schools in garnering Skadden Fellowships. Judy, along with other OPIA staffers, is available to work with HLS students and alumni throughout all phases of the fellowship application process, from helping to identify the right fellowships to pursue to fund a particular type of work to reviewing your application essays and conducting mock interviews to prepare for the real fellowship interview. You may schedule an appointment with Judy using the OPIA Advising Scheduler.

There are also additional sources of funding for summer public service jobs from outside HLS. Information about these funding sources can be found in Chapter 8 of Serving the Public: A Job Search Guide. You can also find information about summer funding for HLS students on the Financial Aid page of OPIA's "Handbook of Public Interest Resources for HLS Students" (.pdf), available in Pound Hall, Room 329.

Fellowships and Funding

Postgraduate Fellowships and Funding

Summer Funding