YLS Public Interest Fellowships

Fellowships Open Only to Yale Law School Graduates and Students

Arthur Liman Public Interest Fellowship
Supports one year of full-time work in the U.S. in a law-related endeavor designed to further public interest, generally under the sponsorship of an existing organization or possibly through a start-up project. Open to all graduates of the law school, regardless of graduation year.

Heyman Federal Public Service Fellowship Program
Supports recent Yale Law graduates who wish to work closely with high-level leaders in the federal government for one year, either through an existing position or through a “special assistantship.” The fellowship allows alumni to explore careers in public service and to bring creative, entrepreneurial ideas to the federal government. Positions that will not be considered include judicial clerkships, entry-level positions, and work for political campaigns.

International Court of Justice Internship/Clerkship
The International Court of Justice at The Hague, the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, makes available a nine-month internship/clerkship position that is funded by the Law School.

Mary A. McCarthy Fellowships in Public Interest Law
Supports public interest law projects, especially in mediation and the rights of immigrants, prisoners, criminal defendants, and women. Work products have ranged from legal briefs and evidence gathered in support of litigation to articles in national journals, informational pamphlets, and videos.

The Robert L. Bernstein Fellowships in International Human Rights
Bernstein Fellows may work anywhere in the world. Applicants are encouraged to create projects with appropriate organizations, but independent projects will also be considered. The fellowship is intended to foster innovative approaches to human rights advocacy or to promote work on important human rights issues that have received relatively little attention.

The Robina Foundation Human Rights Fellowship

Robina Fellows may work anywhere in the world. The Fellowships enable experiences of six months to a year in a number of categories: judicial clerkships in international and foreign courts and tribunals with substantial responsibility for human rights issues; international criminal tribunal internships; internships with international organizations concerned with human rights; and independent research on human rights topics.

YLS Public Interest Fellowships (YPIF)
This additional fellowship program supports recent Yale Law graduates for full-time public interest work for one year, although some extensions may be available in very limited circumstances, such as when matching funds are available from other sources. [NOTE: those interested in transnational human rights fellowships should apply for Bernstein or a Robina Fellowships and should consult with faculty in charge of those programs regarding any questions.]

Travel Reimbursement for Interviews in the Public Interest

CDO has created TRI-PI (Travel Reimbursement for Interviews in the Public Interest) which reimburses 2L and 3L students for travel expenses, up to $400, to public interest interviews. Contact Juliann Davis in the Career Development Office at 432-1676 for guidelines on this program.

 Fellowships Open To Any Law School Graduate

Initiative for Public Interest Law at Yale, Inc.
This student organization funds and supports innovative public interest law projects to protect the legal rights of inadequately represented groups or interests. Proposed projects should be new; they can be designed in conjunction with an organization as long as they are not simply funding requests for the ongoing work of an existing organization.

Robert M. Cover Fellowship
Yale Law School's Robert M. Cover Fellowship Program offers post-graduate fellowships to experienced attorneys interested in clinical law teaching. The Cover Fellowship Program seeks to attract lawyers with at least five years of practice (or equivalent experience). Each fellowship starts during the summer and lasts for two years. Fellows work with one or more civil clinics, which include immigration, domestic violence, housing, transactional and general civil law.

San Francisco Affirmative Litigation Project Fellowship
The Yale Law School’s San Francisco Affirmative Litigation Project (SFALP) and Robert M. Cover Fellowship Program offer a post-graduate fellowship for lawyers who are interested in a long-term career in law school clinical teaching or public lawyering.

Fellowships Open to Graduates of Yale Graduate and Professional Schools

The Gruber Fellowships in Global Justice and the Gruber Fellowships in Women's Rights help foster international understanding and dialogue in the fields of global justice and women's rights. These post-graduate fellowships allow recent graduates of Yale graduate and professional schools to spend a year working on issues of relevance to the fields of global justice and/or women's rights. Application details

Yale University Fellowship Resources

Student Grants and Fellowships Database 

The Whitney and Betty MacMillan Center for International and Area Studies at Yale Fellowships

International Education and Fellowship Programs