Legal Summer Internship Spotlight: NAACP Law Fellow Program

Are you a law student dedicated to civil rights work? It’s time to polish your resume because the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (“NAACP”) is hiring for its 2011 Law Fellow Program. The ten-week summer program, sponsored by the Kellogg’s Corporate Citizenship Fund, offers select 1Ls and 2Ls the opportunity to work with civil rights attorneys, learn about civil rights law and network with individuals in the civil rights field.

According to Dorcas Gilmore, Assistant General Counsel at the NAACP, the Law Fellow Program prepares law students for civil rights work by “showing law students all of the different ways that you can do civil rights legal work in the 21st century.” Law Fellows will learn about the advocacy, in-house work and pro bono efforts behind civil rights legal work. One key takeaway from the Law Fellow Program is “understanding that there are multiple roles,” says Ms. Gilmore.

Law Fellows will work with civil rights attorneys in the NAACP’s legal department in areas like criminal justice, education, housing, voting rights and environmental justice. Additional highlights from the Law Fellow Program include gaining a deeper understanding of the scope of the NAACP’s work, attending the NAACP's national convention in Los Angeles and moderating a continuing legal education panel, visiting attorneys at Kellogg’s corporate office and meeting with attorneys outside of the NAACP to develop a broader understanding of integrating public interest work into the legal practice.

In choosing its Law Fellows, the NAACP looks for “students who have completed their first year of law school who are interested in civil rights work and have a demonstrated commitment to public interest work,” says Ms. Gilmore. If you fit this profile and are interested in applying for the NAACP’s Law Fellow Program, check out the details and application link below.

•Application Deadline: March 18, 2011
•Number of Fellow Positions: 6
•Location: Baltimore, Maryland
•Compensation: $6,000 stipend
•Duration: June 6, 2011-August 12, 2011

The NAACP 2011 Law Fellows Application
The NAACP website

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