Fellowship

Every year, Brooklyn Law School first- and second-year students are selected as BLSPI Fellows. Fellows work in a diverse array of public interest, public service, and human rights organizations in New York City, nationally, and, increasingly, internationally as well. The connective thread among these organizations is how heavily they rely on assistance from law students; BLSPI Fellows are indispensable to the work that they do in providing direct legal services to indigent clients, bringing impact litigation on behalf of under-served communities, and educating members of society and government officials about pressing social issues.

Each Fellow must contribute 30 hours of service to BLSPI and further BLSPI’s mission of public service. In return for their commitment and service to BLSPI, BLSPI Fellows are provided summer funding to provide legal services to and advocacy for underrepresented individuals and communities, and to work in some judicial and government settings. Fellows report to the BLSPI Fellowship Chair who also oversees selection of new Fellows and coordinates networking events for current and former Fellows. BLSPI Fellows often go on to become leaders within BLSPI, at Brooklyn Law School, and in the community at-large. The Fellowship is funded with the proceeds from BLSPI's annual Auction.

Application and Selection

Applications for Summer 2025 are Closed.

2025 applications are open from December 29, 2024-January 26, 2025. After applications are reviewed, new BLSPI Fellows are interviewed and selected by previous BLSPI Fellows and BLSPI members. Having been BLSPI Fellows themselves, they are uniquely placed to gauge applicants’ interest in and commitment to working in the public interest.

Funding

BLSPI Fellowship Funds are derived from the annual BLSPI Auction. The Auction, in past years, has raised as much as $55,000 which goes, in substantial part, to supporting the following summer’s BLSPI Fellows. The benefit of this funding mechanism is mutual: students, professors, and alumni who participate in the Auction know that they are providing vital support to the next generation of public interest lawyers, and Fellows know that they have the full support of the entire Brooklyn Law School community behind them.

Mentorship

Each new class of BLSPI Fellows relies on previous Fellows for advice, assistance, and encouragement. BLSPI Fellows form a cohesive community, both among themselves and within the wider Brooklyn Law School public interest community.

BLSPI Fellowship Funds are derived from the annual BLSPI Auction. The Auction, in past years, has raised as much as $55,000 which goes, in substantial part, to supporting the following summer’s BLSPI Fellows. The benefit of this funding mechanism is mutual: students, professors, and alumni who participate in the Auction know that they are providing vital support to the next generation of public interest lawyers, and Fellows know that they have the full support of the entire Brooklyn Law School community behind them.