Boston University School of Law Post-Graduate Public Service Fellowship Program

Launched in 2010, BU Law’s Public Service Fellowships continue BU Law’s long tradition of supporting our students’ pursuit of careers in public service. 

Boston University School of Law is pleased to announce that it will award full-time post-graduate fellowships to a select group of its 2025 JD graduates to enable them to provide legal assistance to non- profit organizations and state and local government agencies for one year. The fellowship term will run from approximately September 1, 2025, through August 31, 2026. Fellowships will be awarded in the following categories:

  • New for Class of 2025 Lessow Reproductive Health Law Fellowship (1 Fellowship Available for the class of 2025)
  • Citrix Systems Racial and Social Justice Fellowship (1 Fellowship Available for class of 2025)
  • The N. Neal Pike Disability Rights Fellowship (1 Fellowship Available for class of 2025)
  • The Public Service Fellowship (1 Fellowship Available for class of 2025)

To be considered for a fellowship, that student must first obtain a commitment from a host organization to sponsor them for the fellowship period, and then submit an application to the relevant fellowship category. A fellowship selection committee comprised of BU Law faculty, staff, and alumni will award fellowships to selected candidates whose applications demonstrate the potential for significant and substantive achievement of the fellowship goals during the fellowship year. This is a two-step process where funding is not guaranteed to all who apply.

In addition to the fellowship categories mentioned above, through a donation made possible by a generous BU donor, there is also an opportunity for a BU graduate of the class of 2025 who applies for an Equal Justice Works Fellowship (EJW) through the normal process. Any BU student who submits an application to EJW with an eligible host and project that did not get funded by the national funders will be considered for BU specific funding for their EJW project. Only one such award is available, and that student must first have applied in a timely manner for an EJW fellowship.

The goal of the Boston University School of Law Lessow Reproductive Health Law Fellowship Application established in 2005 by alumna, Kim Lessow Crockett ’97 through a dedicated gift to support the Reproductive Justice Program, is to help a graduating third-year J.D. student secure a year-long placement at a nonprofit organization or government agency engaged in impactful advocacy to promote women’s and pregnant persons’ reproductive rights. The overarching goal of the fellowship is to help launch careers dedicated to advancing women’s and pregnant persons’ reproductive rights and justice in the broader field of reproductive health.

The Boston University School of Law Citrix Systems Racial and Social Justice Fellowship was established in 2020 through a dedicated gift to the Law School by Citrix Systems, Inc. to help a graduating third-year J.D. student secure a year-long placement at a nonprofit organization advocating for voting rights, criminal justice reform, or other social justice initiatives.

BU Law’s Public Service Fellowships are designed to launch committed graduates’ careers in public service, while providing additional resources to non-profit organizations and state and local government agencies that would not otherwise be able to financially support a new attorney.

BU Law will also award one N. Neal Pike Disability Rights Fellowship to a 2025 graduate. The N. Neal Pike Disability Rights Fellowship will support a year-long placement in the field of disability rights law at a non-profit organization or state and local government agency.

If you are a member of the Class of 2025 who will be graduating in May 2025 and are interested in applying to the BU Law Public Service Fellowship Program, please reach out to Eron Hackshaw, Director for Public Service and Pro Bono at eronh@bu.edu.

If you have secured a host organization or are in the process of connecting with one please provide them with these BUSL Postgraduate Fellowships Host Organization FAQs and encourage them to reach out to Eron Hackshaw, Director for Public Service and Pro Bono at eronh@bu.edu.

Click here view a recording of the BU Law Post Graduate Public Service Fellowship Program Info Session that was held on November 29th 2023! You may need to enter your BU email to view.

Key Dates:

  • December 2024: Applications materials available on CareerHub for BU Law students from the Class of 2024
  • January 2025: Deadline for host organization proposals to BU Law
  • March 31, 2025: Deadline for students to submit completed applications, including commitment letters from host organizations
  • Late April 2025: Fellows selected and notified by BU Law
  • Applications for the Lessow Reproductive Health Law Fellow will be reviewed on a rolling basis. You may submit your application with required materials as soon as possible and submit the commitment letters from fellowship hosts by March 31, 2025.

 

 

Please see the attached “Application Tips & FAQs for Students” for additional information, or contact:

Eron Hackshaw, Esq.
Director for Public Service and Pro Bono
Pronouns: he/him/his
Boston University School of Law
Office of Career Development and Public Service 765 Commonwealth Ave., Suite 902
Boston, MA 02215
Phone (direct): (617) 353-8981 Email:eronh@bu.edu