The Public Interest Law Institute (PILI) is soliciting applications from Chinese lawyers (as well as those from Indonesia, Nepal, Russia, and Serbia) for the 2010-2011 Public Interest Law Fellows Program.

[Language below taken from fellowship announcement]

1.) Public Interest Law Fellows Program Seeks Candidates
from China, Indonesia, Nepal, Russia, Serbia, and West Africa

 

2.) Public Interest Law Fellows Program seeks Candidates
from West Africa

 

1.) Candidates from China, Indonesia, Nepal, Russia, and
Serbia 

 

The Public Interest Law Institute (PILI) is pleased to
invite applications for its Public Interest Law Fellows Program for 2010-2011.
PILI will select lawyers from China, Indonesia, Nepal, Russia, and Serbia for
ten months of study and practical experience in New York and Budapest,
Hungary.  The program targets future
leaders in various fields of public interest advocacy. 

 

PILI Fellows will join other public interest lawyers from
around the world. They will reside a total of eight months in the U.S. The
first semester will include study at Columbia University School of Law and
additional public interest advocacy training. In the spring, Fellows will
participate in a three-month period of internships at New York-based public
interest law organizations and a two-month study visit based out of PILI's
Budapest office.  Fellows return to their
home countries after the Fellowship, with the aim to implement the project
developed during the Fellowship. 

 

PILI will cover the cost of a round-trip coach airfare to
the U.S. and Budapest, housing in New York and Budapest, a monthly stipend, a
textbook allowance and accident insurance. Selected candidates for the
fellowship are required to sign an agreement to the terms of the fellowship,
stating that they will complete it in full.

 

 

2.) Candidates from West Africa

 

The Public Interest Law Institute (PILI) is pleased to
invite applications for its Public Interest Law Fellows Program for 2010-2011.
The program will select qualified lawyers from West Africa for ten months of
study and practical experience in New York and Budapest. We will be accepting
applicants from the following countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire,
Cape Verde, Cameroon, Chad, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia,
Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo. The program
endeavors to target future leaders in various fields of public interest
advocacy. 

 

PILI Fellows will join other public interest lawyers from
around the world. They will reside a total of eight months in the U.S. The
first semester will include study at Columbia University School of Law and
additional public interest advocacy training. In the spring, Fellows will
participate in a three-month period of internships at New York-based public
interest law organizations and a two-month study visit based out of PILI's
Budapest office.  Fellows return to their
home countries after the Fellowship, with the aim to implement the project
developed during the Fellowship. 

 

PILI will cover the cost of a round-trip coach airfare to
the U.S. and Budapest, housing in New York and Budapest, a monthly stipend, a
textbook allowance and accident insurance. Selected candidates for the
fellowship are required to sign an agreement to the terms of the fellowship,
stating that they will complete it in full.

 

Selection Criteria:

 

Public interest leadership potential of the candidate in
his or her country (minimum of two years working experience with the
organization is required); The nature of the candidate's relationship with the
nominating organization; Track record of the nominating organization in
promoting public interest advocacy; and The quality of the Fellowship Project
proposal and its potential for promoting public interest law and human rights.

Application Requirements:

 

Applicants must submit the following documents:

 

A completed program application form.

A curriculum vitae or resume.

A nominating letter from the organization where they are
employed, supporting their application to the program and indicating how the
Fellowship would be a benefit to the organization/institution.

Two recommendation letters, one from an individual
outside the nominating organization A description of a project that the
applicant would like to work on during the first semester of the program,
ideally with practical significance to their work upon return home.

A copy of the applicant's law school transcript.

A copy of the applicant's bar association membership, if
available.

Information on the nominating organization/institution
and additional recommendations are also encouraged, although not required.

Submission via e-mail of application materials is
strongly encouraged, though materials may also be submitted via regular mail.
INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. If an application is submitted
without one of the required components, it will be disqualified, unless the
applicant can justify why he/she cannot obtain the required information.

 

The DEADLINE for receiving applications at PILI is March
31, 2010.  For more information and
application forms, please contact Jessy Teicher, Program Coordinator, by
e-mail: [email protected] or
by downloading it here: http://www.pili.org/images/pdf/applicationform2010.doc.
Printed applications can be sent via mail to the address on the application.

 

Please note, PILI cannot provide any financial or
logistical assistance for accompanying family members, including securing
suitable family housing. Moreover, Columbia University requires evidence of
financial support for accompanying family members prior to issuing official
invitations to them. Providing proof of the requisite financial support for
accompanying family members will be the responsibility of the applicant.