Fund Details
Liman Undergraduate Summer Fellowship for Yale College Students
Award Amount
6000
Competition Type
Yale

Brief Description:

The Liman Summer Fellowship offers undergraduate students an opportunity to work at public interest organizations located in the United States.

Description:

The Liman Summer Fellowship provides undergraduates opportunities to work full-time for 8–10 weeks in publicly funded or non-profit social services, cultural entities, or state and local government organizations. Work may include direct services, such as helping people who cannot afford attorneys, and public policy reform.

As a Fellow, you will take part in the Liman Colloquium, held every spring at Yale Law School, where students, scholars, and advocates from around the country gather to discuss issues; topics vary from year to year. For example, in the last three years, the Colloquium has addressed: Safety and Insecurity, Incarceration and Public Health, and Budgeting for Justice: Fiscal Policy and Monetary Sanctions.

Through this fellowship, we hope you will connect with your peers and participate in a nationwide network of people committed to lessening the harms of unfair economic and social structures.

Toward the end of the summer, all Fellows must submit a report describing their experiences. Fellows are also expected to participate in the Liman Center’s programs to share their internship experiences with other students.

Eligibility:

The Liman Summer Fellowship is open to all students who are entering their second, third, or fourth year of college. Students should be interested in public service and social justice. Applicants are welcome from all majors and may or may not have an interest in attending law school. Everyone is eligible, whether receiving financial aid or not. 

Qualifying Host Organizations:

Students are responsible for obtaining an internship with a qualifying host organization. Students are not required to have a placement before applying. The Liman Center provides resources to help students identify potential host organizations. 

Organizations must be publicly funded or federally designated nonprofits - those with 501(c)(3) status. For-profit institutions do not qualify.  Alternatively, Fellows may intern with state or local government agencies. Federal government placements do not qualify. Generally, host organizations are not academic institutions and should be based in the United States. 

Host organizations serve the public good in a variety of ways. Many provide lawyers for people who cannot afford them. Some work on behalf of underserved communities. Others shape public policy.  Applicants are encouraged to look for host organizations that have resource needs and serve underrepresented groups.  Placements are not limited to particular substantive areas. Prior Fellows have worked on issues such as election integrity, immigration, housing insecurity, labor and workers’ rights, indigent criminal defense, accommodations for people with disabilities, access to childcare, and environmental policy. 

Ideally, Fellows join the organization in person rather than remotely.

Application Information:

Applications open January 5, 2026, and are due no later than January 19, 2026.  Awardees will be notified by the end of February. 

Applications must be submitted online through the Student Grants Database. Please submit all documents in PDF format. Except for your transcript, all documents must be in Courier New 12 pt font. Incomplete applications will not be accepted.

A complete application must include:
  1. Your resume (no more than two pages). It should include academic and work experiences such as volunteer and public service projects.
  2. An essay not to exceed 1,000 words about yourself, so that the Selection Committee can learn more about you. Please do not repeat your resume, and feel free to write about topics, ideas, or projects that engage you and help us understand your commitments.
  3. Two letters of recommendation from Yale faculty. The recommendations should come from individuals who know your work. Request letters from ladder faculty or faculty who have visited at Yale and now teach at another institution; do not submit references from teaching assistants or graduate students.
  4. A copy of your current college transcript (an unofficial copy suffices).
  5. List of potential summer host organizations (no more than 1 page). You need not have secured an internship when you apply for the Liman Summer Fellowship. Do be aware that some summer internship application deadlines will pass before the Summer Fellows are selected. We recommend that, if possible, you reach out to organizations in areas of interest to you to learn whether they can offer you a position. Explain that you have pending applications for financial support. Once selections are made, you can return to the organizations you have contacted.

Special Eligibility Requirements:

Liman Summer Fellowship placements must be within the United States. International placements are generally not eligible.

The Liman Center sponsors two designated summer fellowships, one at the Legal Action Center (in the New York City or D.C. office) and one at All Our Kin in New Haven. Please review each organization’s website and indicate in your application if you would like to be considered for either placement. These two placements are highly competitive; students offered a designated fellowship are expected to embrace the opportunity.

Links to Additional Information:

The Arthur Liman Center for Public Interest Law supports Yale undergraduates and Yale Law School graduates working in the public interest. Public interest law includes a variety of types of law-related work done in furtherance of the public good. Examples of organizations doing such work include non-profit offices that provide representation for individuals who cannot afford attorneys, organizations that advocate on behalf of underserved communities, and non-profits and government offices that shape public policy.

Contact Information:

For questions about this application, please contact Kate Braner at katherine.braner@yale.edu

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