Summer Fellowships
2012 Summer Law Fellowships
Applications due March 23, 2012.
Click here for application.
The Williams Institute Summer Fellowship program provides a stipend to allow a current law student or recent law school graduate to work for a national lesbian and gay rights organization. Examples of eligible placements include the summer internship programs of Lambda Legal, ACLU Lesbian and Gay Rights Project, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD), the Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation Law and Public Policy, and similar national and local organizations. During the fellowship, students work on research projects and assist with on-going lesbian and gay civil rights cases.
These summer fellowships serve two critical functions advancing sexual orientation and gender identity law. First, these fellowships provide an opportunity for talented law students to start a career in this important field and give students practical experience in working on LGBT rights cases. LGBT-focused legal organizations just do not have the funding to pay for summer help, so most students would not be able to work for them if these fellowships did not exist. Second, the fellowships directly advance the rights of LGBT people. Because most LGBT-focused legal organizations are short on staff and funds, they really need student help in the summer. Without these fellowships, organizations could not take on as many LGBT rights cases or help as many clients.
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Gleason Kettel Summer Fellowship
Thanks to a generous gift from philanthropists Mike Gleason and Dave Kettel, the Gleason Kettel Summer Fellowship was created to provide outstanding law students or recent law school graduates with a $5,000 stipend to spend the summer working with an organization, scholar, or research center, focused on sexual orientation and gender identity law and public policy.
Zeke Webber Summer Fellowship
The Zeke Webber Summer Fellowship is named after Ezekiel “Zeke” Webber a UCLA Law student who died in 2004 at the end of his 2L year. During his time at UCLA, Zeke was extremely involved with the Williams Institute and the Public Interest Law Program. An Eagle Scout himself, Zeke worked on ACLU cases related to the Boy Scouts’ denial of membership to gay scouts. Zeke also served as the Managing Editor and Editor-in-Chief of the Dukeminier Awards Journal for two years. Zeke was instrumental in the creation of the Williams Institute Moot Court Competition. The summer fellowship was created by a fund to honor his life and work.