The Appellate Project (TAP)’s Post

Rising 3Ls or recent grads entering into your last year of clerkships - have you considered a public interest fellowship? It's not too late to design a meaningful project (your dream job!) to start fall 2025! And I want to help you do it. T14 (top 14) law schools typically have robust counseling and guidance on public interest fellowships, while other law schools don't. Similarly, prominent legal services orgs in the Northeast and West Coast often have experience finding and supporting applicants to get funded, while those in the Southeast don't. If you're at a non-T14 school and/or interested in doing work in the South, and are interested in designing something for this project cycle (or next), please reach out! I feel so lucky to be an Equal Justice Works fellow, and I really enjoy mentoring others on their applications. I can connect you with current or former fellows in your subject area, help you brainstorm project ideas or host orgs, share my application materials with you, and/or support you in another way you'd find useful. And in case it's helpful, below is a chart I've made summarizing what I know about each of the major fellowship programs that allow you to design your own job. I'll post the links to each fellowship in my comments. Please feel free to share!

This is a great resource for prospective legal fellows. I would add to the chart the Independence Foundation Public Interest Law Fellowships (no focus area, serving Philadelphia, application due in October) and the Fried Frank Civil Rights Fellowship (a partnership between Fried Frank, NAACP LDF, and MALDEF). Several law schools and organizations also have their public interest fellowship programs. I want to echo Rachel's encouragement to reach out to former fellows. When I was developing fellowship proposals, every single former Skadden Foundation, Equal Justice Works, and Independence Foundation fellow to whom I reached out took the time to talk with me, shared application materials, and directed me toward other former fellows. As a former Skadden, I now do the same. Some advice I always give prospective fellows: First, start the process early. The more time you have to build relationships--with your host organization and prospective clients and partners--the stronger your application will be. Second, be able to answer these questions: What is the legal gap you are looking to fill? What strategies and tactics will you employ? Who do you envision as your clients? To whom will you be accountable? Work with your host organization and prospective clients and partners to inform these answers. And get creative. Then find a way to explain your project--in no more than two sentences--to your mom, your non-lawyer best friend, or the person you meet on the subway. Trust me; it will come in handy. Third, know why *you* are the person to do this work. The fellowship foundations invest in your project. They also invest in you as a public interest lawyer and a member of the public interest community. Fourth, reach out to the fellowship foundations. The leadership and staff are enormously generous with their time and want to set you up for success. Fifth, for my future environmental, climate, and energy justice colleagues, many of the major fellowship foundations now fund EJ/CJ projects. Look for past projects that resonate with you and reach out to former fellows.

It was a pleasure visiting William & Mary Law School on Tuesday for a candid conversation about #clerking with Associate Dean Mike Ende! The Legal Accountability Project’s law school events ensure that students: ⚖️ Ask the right questions before clerking; ⚖️Understand the challenges they might face during a #clerkship and the resources available to them; and ⚖️Are mindful about who they clerk for. LAP empowers students to become informed and discerning consumers of #clerkship information. 📢Law students, regardless of how well-resourced their school, lack candid, transparent #clerkship information. No school knows about all the judges students will apply to. And sadly, negative info about #clerking is not uniformly shared with students, or messaged as “challenging” but “worth it” for the prestige. LAP is a counterweight to this. 📢When I launched LAP, one void I aimed to fill was the #clerkship messaging and programming, which was overwhelmingly positive, rather than balanced and realistic. LAP events are unique and unlike anything else students will get in #lawschool, which is why it’s so important to reach as many campuses as possible. I appreciate the feedback that LAP’s events are some of the most impactful, informative, and interesting that students have attended; and LAP has meaningfully changed #clerkship messaging, programming, and advising on campuses. And it’s always nice when students follow up to invite me back! 🔊🔊My negative #clerkship experience, while not rare, is one that’s rarely shared publicly. So it’s important to always ground the conversation in my experience, not only to provide background for why I dedicated my life’s work to improving the clerkship system and #judiciary, but to ensure students understand the potential downsides of clerking and are truly mindful of who they clerk for. Absent LAP events, students might go their entire #lawschool career without hearing about a negative #clerkship experience. That would be an enormous disservice to them. What’s different about Season 4 of LAP’s #lawschool roadshow? We’re gearing up to launch the Clerkships Database for law students nationwide this spring, irrespective of their schools’ decision to subscribe! We encourage students considering #clerkships to pre-register right now. Sadly, there are a few schools LAP still hasn’t visited. Those students may go another year without desperately-needed information. If that’s your school, reshare LAP’s content, sign up for Database access, and tell your friends. LAP is a clerkship #transparency movement. We're democratizing information about #clerkships for students through our Database, and also shining a public spotlight on these issues for the #legalprofession and beyond. #clerkships #judiciary #accountability #transparency  #lawschools

Join us Wednesday, June 26, 2024 at 12:15pm via zoom as this discussion will provide information regarding a variety of post-graduate fellowship opportunities, including the Equal Justice Works, Skadden, and Justice Catalyst Fellowships. Topics covered will include how to find a sponsor organization, how to ensure quality recommendations, how to develop a project proposal, how to shop it to sponsor agencies, and more. Register here: https://lnkd.in/g9CiBm9k or call 213-785-2516 for registration assistance. As always, we are here to help six days a week at (213) 78LALAW, reference@lalawlibrary.org, or via chat at https://bit.ly/341pHY #LALawLibrary #LegalEducation #MCLE #ContinuingEducation #LegalProfession #Lawyers #PostGraduateFellowship #FellowshipOpportunities #LegalCareers #ZoomClass #VirtualLearning #LegalCommunity #ProfessionalDevelopment #LegalTraining #LawLibrary #CareerGrowth #LegalScholars #FutureLawyers #LegalOpportunities #LawStudents #LawSchool #LegalIndustry #CareerDevelopment #LegalResources #LegalNetworking #LawLibraryEvents #ProfessionalOpportunities #LegalSupport #ContinuingLegalEducation #OnlineLearning

As we continue to recognize the promising legal talent that we have with us at BG this summer, today’s Summer Associate Spotlight focuses on Mackenzie Gail Howe, a rising 2L at West Virginia University College of Law. Mackenzie is originally from Danville, Kentucky, and graduated with a B.S. in psychology from Centre College in Kentucky and worked for a year as a deputy clerk at the Kentucky Court of Appeals before starting law school. We hope you enjoy this Q&A with Mackenzie: Q: What’s your favorite quote that inspires you? A: My favorite quote is by Reba McEntire: “To succeed in life, you need three things: a wishbone, a backbone, and a funny bone.” It’s a great reminder to focus on my professional, academic, and personal goals without taking myself too seriously. Q: If stranded on a desert island, what would you bring with you for entertainment? A: If I was stranded on a desert island, I'd bring my all-time favorite book, Pride and Prejudice. It’s a great comfort read! I’d listen to Tell Me I’m Pretty by Cage the Elephant or Bad Self Portraits by Lake Street Dive. My must-have films are The Secret Life of Walter Mitty or Dirty Dancing, my two favorites growing up. Q: What is something that you’ve learned while you’ve been at BG this summer? A: One thing that I will take away from my summer at BG is the power of concise writing and organization. Effective communication is key! Additionally, I am coming away with a deeper appreciation for mentorship and lifelong learning. It is so inspiring to work with people who are always committed to learning or teaching something new. Q: Last but not least, what kind of law are you most drawn to practicing at this time in your legal studies? A: Right now, I am most interested in mass torts, commercial and environmental litigation, and appellate practice. Thank you for joining our community this summer and contributing to our work, Mackenzie! #summerassociate #summer #wvucollegeoflaw #wvu #thankyou #community

For young law graduates who are busy building legal careers, it can be easy to let connections with former classmates fade and lose that sense of kinship with your home faculty.  As a member of the McGill Law Class of 2016, Claire K. Boychuk knows this feeling well and wants to help keep those connections alive. That’s why she teamed up with fellow graduates to launch the Future Leaders Fund in the McGill University – Faculty of Law. Learn more here https://lnkd.in/e5jhe4ci

Congratulations to our 2024 class of 1L Diversity Fellows! We are excited to welcome you to Goodwin this summer. Through our diversity fellowships, we focus on recruiting, developing, and retaining outstanding law students and lawyers who have demonstrated leadership skills, a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and success in overcoming challenges in their path to pursuing a career in the law, helping us to break barriers within the legal profession. Learn more about the program: #GoodwinLaw #Careers #JoinGoodwin #LawStudents

Hi, my name is Gabriele Bagdonas! I am a former Division I athlete and the first in my family to be born in the U.S. I am pursuing my dream of becoming a sports, entertainment, and media attorney. I am currently doing the 100 day LinkedIn challenge where I post once a day, for 100 days. Cheers to 3/100. ---------- For day three, I wanted to discuss the top three things I have loved about being a law student thus far: 1. Building Connections in Law School  Since starting law school, I have formed meaningful connections. My first year at Syracuse introduced me to supportive classmates who always encouraged my curiosity. When I told them I was transferring, they were sad but excited for my journey. I am truly appreciative of our bonds. Now at Villanova, the transition has been rewarding. Initially, it was challenging to meet new people, but I have gradually built relationships. I am grateful to have support from both my Syracuse friends and my new classmates. 2. Growing Knowledge  1L was tough, but I was amazed by how much I absorbed by the end of the year. The extensive reading and lectures enriched my understanding and sparked excitement to share what I learned, like discussing OCEAN in adverse possession. I feel fortunate to receive such a valuable education. 3. Embracing Challenges  Law school is not easy, often fostering imposter syndrome. The first semester felt like learning a new language, and I struggled with the material. However, the second semester brought me a lot of clarity. By prioritizing sleep and self-compassion, I learned to navigate stress better and land back on my feet. While I am still working on fully embracing challenges, I feel more resilient than I did a year ago.

Sometimes, it’s just nice to be home. 🏙️ 🚇 Over the past 2 years, The Legal Accountability Project’s #lawschool roadshow has taken me to 30+ law schools, for 50+ LAP events nationwide. ✨Law school events are invigorating. I enjoy meeting with students to share LAP’s #transparency, #accountability, and #equity work with them. They’re particularly attuned to the issues LAP discusses and ask insightful questions. And while some issues are particularly acute on certain campuses, students *universally* lack access to candid #clerkship info. 🚂I wasn’t a frequent traveler before I launched LAP, so the travel required to run a nonprofit generally - and the fact that law school events are an integral part of LAP’s work - was an adjustment! 🚆I’ve found that I enjoy 2-4 hr train rides because it's excellent uninterrupted work time. Trips beyond 4 hrs require a pit stop in Philadelphia - too much time in a vehicle feels constraining. ✨Wherever I go, you’ll always find me: 🏋️At the gym early in the morning (non-negotiable); 🚶♀️Walking wherever possible (I don’t like to be sedentary generally, and "walking meetings” happen even when I am on the road); 📷Exploring and taking pictures around campus (for social media, of course!); and 👟Wearing my brightly colored Nike dunks (they’ve become a staple of LAP’s programming). ✈️I’ll be back on the road in the fall for Season 5 (!) of the #roadshow. 👨💻What's different? LAP’s Database is a working product that students have been actively using (and talking about). 🗣️What's the same? LAP events will continue to ensure those who’ve never heard me speak are properly informed about the #clerkship work environments they’re entering and the challenges they might face. LAP empowers every student to be an informed and discerning consumer of #clerkship opportunities. 🎤And for those who’ve heard me speak once (or twice!) before, this will be a call to action: encourage your law school to subscribe to LAP's Clerkships Database on behalf of all students, to help ensure transparency, equity, and accountability in judicial clerkships and the #judiciary. Urge your school to change their messaging and advising to be more balanced and realistic. Demand better for yourself and your peers. 🌃My work takes me to lots of exciting places. But sometimes, it’s nice to be home. #nonprofits #clerkships #lawschoolroadshow

TODAY I look forward to visiting William & Mary Law School where I’ll join Associate Dean Mike Ende for a candid conversation about #clerking. We’ll discuss The Legal Accountability Project’s efforts to improve the #clerkship system, including the unprecedented step LAP is taking to ensure #transparency, #equity, and #accountability in judicial clerkships by launching a Centralized Clerkships Database. This is the initiative I conceptualized to correct injustices I experienced as a law student and law clerk. This is the 4th semester LAP has hit the road to share our work with law students and their administrations. It’s the FIRST where LAP’s Clerkships Database is not only a working product, but where we’re actively pre-registering law student subscribers from #lawschools nationwide in advance of next month’s Database launch, irrespective of law schools’ decisions to subscribe. This is an exciting development that will TRULY democratize judicial #clerkship information! Law school programming will continue to be an integral part of LAP’s work, as I encourage law students to ask the right questions before clerking and to be mindful about who they clerk for. Students leave LAP events clear-eyed about the work environment they’re entering, the challenges they might face, and the #accountability options available to them. LAP’s message is one of empowerment. I always share my own negative #clerkship experience, one that’s not rare, but rarely shared publicly - in order to highlight the systems in need of disruptive change, and to illustrate how I turned my mission into a #clerkship transparency movement, turning “lemons into lemonade,” as some have characterized it. I imagine many students attend law school intending to use their JDs to create positive change. I hope some of the students who hear me speak will be empowered to be the change they want to see in the world. And for many more, LAP’s programming and resources will help them identify a beneficial #clerkship for themselves and then advocate for real #judiciary workplace protections and more #transparent hiring practices. #clerkships #courts #transparency #lawschools