Public Interest Law Fellows Program

[Katalin Fabian]

> REMINDER:  THE DEADLINE TO APPLY TO THE PUBLIC INTEREST LAW FELLOWS
PROGRAM
> IS MARCH 1, 2001
>
>               PILI/COLPI Public Interest Law Fellows Program
>
>                             (2001-2003 Session)
>
> The Constitutional and Legal Policy Institute (COLPI), an affiliate
of the
> Open Society Institute (OSI-Budapest), in collaboration with the
Public
> Interest Law Initiative in Transitional Societies (PILI) at Columbia
Law
> School, is pleased to invite applications for the Public Interest
Law
> Fellows Program. The deadline for applications is March 1, 2001.
>
> The program will select seven lawyers from Central and Eastern
Europe,
> Russia and Central Asia ("the region") for two years of study and
practical
> work experience. Two slots in the program are specifically designated
for
> women's rights advocates, two slots are designated for disability
rights
> advocates, and the remaining three slots are undesignated.
>
> Applicants with a strong commitment to human rights or public
interest
law,
> a law degree, eligibility for legal practice in his/her country and
> proficiency in English may apply. Criteria for selection will include
the
> experience of the applicant, the applicant's potential to contribute
to
the
> development of the human rights or public interest law field in the
region,
> and the suitability of the applicant's proposed role in the
nominating
NGO.
> Preference will be given to applicants under 35 years of age.
Selection
> decisions will be made by April 10, 2001.
>
> The Fellows will reside a total of one year in the US, consisting of
one
> semester of study at Columbia University and two three-month
internships.
> Fellows will return to their home countries after the first year,
where
> they will spend at least one year working with their nominating NGO
on
> human rights/public interest advocacy on a non-profit basis in such
areas
> as providing legal services, strategic litigation, campaigning for
reform,
> and human rights training/education. Upon their selection, Fellows
will be
> required to sign an agreement with COLPI/OSI Budapest and Columbia
> University according to which he/she will commit to two years in the
> program; the first year to be spent in the US and the second year in
> his/her home country working with the nominating NGO.
>
> COLPI will cover a round-trip coach airfare to the US and provide
each
> Fellow with a monthly stipend for a period of up to 12 months, a
textbook
> allowance, and medical insurance for a year while in the US.  The
amount
of
> this stipend is carefully calculated to cover the expenses of one
person
in
> the US for the period of one year. COLPI will also pay a local
salary
> during the second year that is equal to an amount determined to be
similar
> to equivalent work by the nominating NGO.  This amount will be
provided to
> the nominating NGOs in the form of a grant.
>
> Please note, COLPI and 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. In the 2000/2001
> academic year, this amount was equal to $360 a month for an
accompanying
> spouse and $350 a month for each dependent child. Providing proof of
the
> requisite financial support for accompanying family members will be
the
> responsibility of the applicant.
>
> Program Description
>
> The  goal  of  the Public Interest Law Initiative in Transitional
Societies
> (PILI)  is  to  support  human  rights  principles  through
assisting
the
> development  of  public  interest  law  communities  in Central and
Easter
n
> Europe,  Russia and Central Asia, especially in the areas of
clinical
legal
> education  and access to justice. PILI is supported by the Ford
Foundation,
> the  Mott  Foundation,  the  Open  Society Institute-New York and
the
Soros
> network of foundations, including COLPI.
>
> The Public Interest Law Fellows Program is one of PILI's core
activities.
> In the first semester of the program, Public Interest Law Fellows
> participate in a non-degree program in which they audit 3 to 5
courses at
> Columbia Law School, including a seminar entitled "Applied Law Reform
In
> Eastern Europe," which is taught by Edwin Rekosh, Director of the
Public
> Interest Law Initiative. This seminar ? which pairs Fellows with a
select
> group of full-time Columbia students ? provides a practical-oriented
> overview of law reform issues confronting the legal systems of
Central and
> Eastern Europe from an interdisciplinary perspective, with an
emphasis on
> democracy-building, civil society, and enhancing the promotion and
> protection of human rights.  Each Fellow will be expected to propose
a
> project relating to human rights or other public interest law
issues,
which
> will be the subject of research and collaboration by teams formed
with
> other students in the seminar. The project should be related to the
needs
> and priorities of the applicant's nominating NGO, but may change over
the
> course of the semester based on the input of other students in the
seminar.
> Ideally, the result of the seminar will be a project plan that can
be
> further modified during the remainder of the year to fit the
particular
> needs of the NGO.
>
> In the spring and early summer, Fellows participate in two
three-month
> internships at human rights, legal services, or other public interest
law
> organizations in the New York area. To the extent possible,
internships
> will be selected according to Fellows' particular interests in the
area of
> human rights and public interest law. Fellows will be expected to
arrive
in
> early August in order to participate in "US Legal Methods and
Problems,"
an
> intensive course that starts prior to other classes and provides an
> academic orientation for lawyers from civil law countries.
>
> More information about the Public Interest Law Initiative can be
found on
> the Internet at: www.pili.org. More information about Columbia Law
School
> can be found at: www.law.columbia.edu.
>
> Application Procedure
>
> Applicants must include a nominating letter from an NGO from the
region
> describing the need for having a lawyer working in the organization
and
> contractually committing to COLPI/OSI-Budapest to hire the applicant
for
at
> least one year after he/she returns from the twelve-month training
program
> in the US. The nomination letter should also indicate a monthly
salary
rate
> that will be offered to the applicant by the NGO in the event that he
or
> she is selected for the program (which would be provided to the NGO
by
> COLPI in the form of a grant). In addition, the applicant should
provide
at
> least one additional recommendation. Information on the profile of
the
> recommending NGO and supplemental recommendations are also welcome.
>
> Applicants should also identify a project that he or she would like
to
> design during the first semester of the program.  Ideas of projects
with
> practical significance to the nominating NGO are encouraged.  Some
examples
> of past projects include: (1) creating a gender policy institute to
gather
> statistical information on issues affecting women, and to monitor
> legislation from a gender perspective; (2) reforming the law
regulating
> guardianship for those with mental disabilities using strategic
litigation,
> public education and the media, and; (3) establishing a human rights
NGO
to
> litigate cases focusing on minority issues, with the goal of
bringing
> domestic legislation up to international human rights standards.
>
> The electronic submission, via e-mail, of application materials is
strongly
> encouraged.  However, an original application must also be submitted
> through regular mail. INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.
If
an
> application is submitted without one of the required components
listed in
> the application, it will be disqualified unless the applicant can
justify
> why he/she cannot obtain the needed information.
>
> The DEADLINE for receiving applications at PILI is March 1, 2001.
For
more
> information and application forms, please contact Julie Plavsic,
Fellowship
> Program Coordinator, 44 Morningside Drive, Suite 1, New York, New
York;
> tel: 1-212-851-1060; fax: 1-212-851-1064; e-mail:
jplavs at law.columbia.edu.
> The application is also available on PILI's website at www.pili.org.
>