A public interest law firm without walls.

  — The Los Angeles Times

The Skadden Fellowship Foundation launched in 1988 to commemorate Skadden's 40th anniversary and has since become the largest public interest law firm in the United States. The program provides two-year Fellowships to talented young lawyers to pursue the practice of public interest law on a full-time basis.  Our guiding principle is to improve legal services for the poor and encourage economic independence. To date, the Foundation has funded nearly 800 fellowships. Ninety percent of former Fellows remain in public service, and almost all of them continue working on the same issues they addressed in their original Fellowship projects. 

 

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Fellowship Spotlight

Skadden Fellow: Emily Friedman, "Funding Big Ideas That Make a Difference"

Skadden Fellow: Emily Friedman, "Funding Big Ideas That Make a Difference"

An associate general counsel at the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Emily Friedman helps staff from across the foundation navigate issues relating to tax-exempt law and is the dedicated internal legal adviser for three programs: Criminal Justice, Nuclear Challenges and Chicago Commitment, which is dedicated to supporting the city through grants and investments.
Skadden Fellow: Sarah Cleveland, "Human Rights Law, in Practice and in Theory"

Skadden Fellow: Sarah Cleveland, "Human Rights Law, in Practice and in Theory"

As the Louis Henkin Professor of Human and Constitutional Rights at Columbia Law School and co-director of the school’s Human Rights Institute (HRI), Sarah Cleveland has shifted her focus from immigration, labor rights, racial justice and civil rights to human right issues, overseeing a significant expansion of the scope of HRI’s work.
Skadden Fellow: Dermot Lynch

Skadden Fellow: Dermot Lynch

Dermot Lynch’s connection with Peruvians and their culture took root a decade ago, when, as a recent college graduate, he spent nearly three years living in and traveling across Peru. As a Skadden Fellow, he helps Peruvians address the severe conditions they face as “temporary agricultural workers” on H-2A visas.
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Contact Information

For more information, please contact:

Susan Butler Plum / 212.735.2956 / Director, Skadden Foundation

Kathy Quijije / 212.735.5176 / Project Coordinator 

Lauren Aguiar / 212.735.2235 / President, Skadden Foundation 

 

Fellowship Application

The 2018 application period is now closed. The 2019 application deadline is September 17, 2018.

View The Application Details