Citing increased interest in public-sector legal positions, Duke University Law School has created two funding options for students who would like to explore careers through summer employment.
Outlined in a recent press release, the Dean’s Summer Service Grant sets aside $3,000 for qualifying 2Ls, while the Horvitz Public Law Fellowship provides funding for 1L and 2Ls. The press release did not specify the amount of the Horvitz Fellowship.
“Dean Levi recognized that without institutional financial support, many students would not have the opportunity to explore public service career opportunities through summer work,” said Kim Bart, assistant dean of Public Interest and Pro Bono, of Duke Law’s dean, who pushed such financial allocation.
Both the grant and the fellowship have unique qualifications and acceptable positions, though, generally, both are available to students who seek jobs with government or non-profit organizations, or judicial internships. In the case of the Dean’s Grant, a student must have completed at least ten pro bono hours earlier in the school year and commit to the position full-time for at least ten weeks.
The increased focus on public interest law, in large part due to economic conditions, has certainly been noticed beyond Duke Law. Last month, we reported on the 2009 Law School Survey of Student Engagement, which indicated a 4 percent rise in respondents expecting to work in public interest positions following graduation.
