Public Interest Law Fellows Program at Columbia Law School

The Constitutional and Legislative Policy Institute (COLPI), an affiliate of the Open Society Institute (OSI-Budapest), in collaboration with the Public Interest Law Initiative in Transitional Societies (PILI) at Columbia Law School, is pleased to invite applications for the Public Interest Law Fellows Program. The deadline for applications is April 1, 1999.

The program will select three lawyers from Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union for two years of study and practical work experience. Applicants with a strong commitment to human rights or public interest law, a law degree, eligibility for legal practice in his/her country and proficiency in English may apply. Criteria for selection will include the experience of the applicant, the applicant's potential to contribute to the development of the human rights or public interest law field in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, and the suitability of the applicant's proposed role in the nominating NGO. Preference will be given to applicants under 35 years of age. Selection decisions will be made by April 30, 1999.

The Fellows will reside a total of one year in the US: consisting of one semester of study at Columbia University and two three-month internships. Fellows will return to their home countries after the first year, where they will spend at least one year working with their nominating NGO on human rights/public interest advocacy on a non-profit basis: providing legal services, litigating test cases, training/educating in human rights, etc. Upon their selection, Fellows will be required to sign an agreement with COLPI/OSI Budapest according to which he/she will commit to two years in the program: the first year to be spent in the United States; and the second year in his/her home country working with the nominating NGO.

COLPI will cover a round-trip coach airfare to the US and provide each Fellow with a $1500/month stipend for a period of up to 12 months, a one time text-book allowance of $500 and medical insurance for a year while in the US. COLPI will also pay a local salary during the second year that is equal to an amount determined to be similar to equivalent work by the nominating NGO. This amount will be provided to the nominating NGOs in the form of a grant.

Particulars regarding the Public Interest Law Fellows Program at Columbia Law School

The Public Interest Law Fellows Program is part of the Public Interest Law Initiative in Transitional Societies (PILI) at Columbia Law School, which was launched by Columbia Law School in 1997. It's goal is to assist in the development and facilitate the networking of public interest law communities in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, Russia and Central Asia through publications, electronic resources, meetings and capacity-building programs. The Public Interest Law Initiative is supported by the Ford Foundation, the Open Society Institute-New York and the Soros network of foundations, including COLPI.

In the first semester, Public Interest Law Fellows participate in a non-degree program in which they audit 3 to 5 courses at Columbia Law School or other divisions of Columbia University. In the spring and early summer, they participate in two three-month internships at human rights, legal services or other public interest law organizations in the New York area. To the extent possible, internships will be selected according to Fellows' particular interests in the area of human rights and public interest law. In addition, each Fellow will be expected to complete a research paper during the Fall term, under the supervision of Edwin Rekosh, the Director of the Public Interest Law Initiative, on a topic relating to human rights or other public interest law issues. Fellows will be expected to arrive in early August in order to participate in US Legal Methods and Problems, an intensive course which starts prior to other classes and provides an academic orientation for lawyers from civil law countries.

More information about the Public Interest Law Initiative can be found on the Internet at: www.pili.org. More information about Columbia Law School can be found at: http://www.law.columbia.edu.

Human Rights Fellows Program (1999-2001 session)

Constitutional and Legal Policy Institute (COLPI), an affiliate of the Open Society Institute (OSI - Budapest), joins with the American University Washington College of Law to announce the Human Rights Fellows Program.

Human Rights Fellows Program is a two year program of study and practical work experience. Three lawyers from Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union will be selected this year to participate in the program. Applicants with a strong commitment to human right, law degree, eligibility for legal practice in his/her country and proficiency in English may apply. Criteria for selection will include the experience of the applicant, the applicant's potential to contribute to the protection and promotion of human rights in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, and the suitability of the applicant's proposed role in the nominating NGO. Preference will be given to applicants under 35 years of age. Selection decisions will be made by April 30, 1999.

Human Rights Fellows will reside a total of one year in the US. This will be a non-degree program in which Fellows will be required to audit 3 to 5 courses related to human rights at the American University Washington College of Law during the Fall semester (starting in August 1999) and to spend the Spring and Summer semesters in internships with civil liberties organizations or legal services agencies in the US. (To the extent possible, internships will be selected according to Fellows' particular interests in the civil liberties area). In addition, each Fellow will be expected to complete a research paper during the Fall term, under the supervision of Prof. Herman Schwartz who is the academic director of the Program at the American University Washington College of Law, on a topic relating to human rights issues.

Human Rights Fellows will return to their home countries after the first year, where they will spend at least one year working with NGOs on human rights advocacy on a non-profit basis: providing legal services, litigating test cases, training/educating in human rights, etc. Upon their selection, Fellows will be required to sign an agreement with COLPI/OSI Budapest according to which he/she will commit two years in the program: the first year to be spent with the American University Washington College of Law (including internship placements); and the second year in his/her home country working with the nominating NGO.

COLPI will cover a round-trip coach airfare to the US and provide each Fellow with a $1500/month stipend for a period of up to 12 months, a one time text-book allowance of $500 and medical insurance for a year while in the US. COLPI will also pay a local salary during the second year that is equal to an amount determined by the nominating NGO for similar work. This amount will be provided to the nominating NGOs in the form of grant.

Applicants must include a nominating letter from an NGO from the region describing the need for having a lawyer working in the organization what will be exepected of the Fellow that year and contractually committing to COLPI/OSI-Budapest to hire the applicant for at least one year after he/she returns from the US twelve month training program. In addition, the applicant should provide at least one additional recommendation. Applicants should also identify a research project that he or she will carry out during the first semester of the program. Projects of practical significance to the nominating NGO, such as drafting a model law or designing a litigation strategy, are encouraged. Information on the profile of the recommending NGO and supplemental recommendations are welcome.

The DEADLINE for receiving applications in COLPI is April 1, 1999. For more information and application forms, please contact Eszter Filippinyi, Program Coordinator, COLPI, Nador u. 11, Budapest 1051, tel: 361 327-3102; fax: 361 327 3103; e-mail: [email protected] or Zaza Namoradze, Deputy Director, COLPI, (the same mailing address), e-mail: [email protected]

The program will be conducted by COLPI and the American University Washington College of Law in cooperation with human rights non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. The aim of the program is to support the further development of a civil liberties network of lawyers in the countries of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union.

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Last updated:    January 20, 1999