Fellowships for Incoming Students
If you are an incoming student interested in being considered for a Fellowship, please send a one page statement of interest by email to lawadmissions@maine.edu. Priority consideration will be given to those who apply prior to February 1st.
The Center for Law + Innovation Privacy Law Fellowship is awarded annually to an incoming first year student at the University of Maine School of Law who demonstrates both academic excellence and aptitude and interest in the study of Information Privacy Law. The Privacy Law Fellow will be granted an internship during the summer between their 1L and 2L years with the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) in Portsmouth, NH; academic advising by Director of the Information Privacy Law Certificate, Scott Bloomberg; mentoring by IAPP Research Director Rita Heimes, Esq.; a one year IAPP student membership; complete access to IAPP online training and testing; and the opportunity to earn the CIPP/US, CIPP/E, CIPM or CIPT credential.
The Economic Justice Fellowship is awarded annually to an incoming first-year student at the University of Maine School of Law and supports education and service in economic justice and community development law. Selection is based upon an excellent academic record, demonstrated commitment to and capacity for public service, and a keen interest in economic justice and community development. Fellows work with faculty mentors in curricular and career planning, independent writing projects, participation in research, and placement in field opportunities. Each Fellow works full time in at least one paid summer internship with a public or private nonprofit economic development institution. Since launch of the Program in 2019, two Economic Justice Fellows completed summer internships at Avesta Housing, Maine’s leading nonprofit developer and policy advocate for affordable housing. A third Fellow was an intern at Coastal Enterprises Inc. (CEI), a Maine-based community development financial institution working nationwide. Another two Fellows were interns in housing policy with the Maine Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future. Faculty coordinators for the Program are Professor Kaitlin Caruso and Emeritus Professor Peter Pitegoff, former Dean at Maine Law.
The Energy and Environmental Law Fellowship (E&E Fellow) is awarded annually to an incoming first year student at the University of Maine School of Law who has demonstrated both academic excellence and a commitment to the protection of the environment and/or the transition to clean energy. The E&E Fellow will be granted a fellowship during their first summer involving energy, environmental and/or land use issues, academic advising by the faculty advisor of the Energy and Environmental Law Society, a seat in one of the environmental-related seminars or practicums, as well as invitations to meetings and workshops in these subject areas in the Portland area. The Fellow will also receive from the Law School a paid membership in the Environmental and Energy Technology Council of Maine (E2Tech), which will enable the Fellow to attend many educational and networking opportunities with professionals and business-people working in the E2Tech Sectors.
The Immigration Law Fellowship is awarded annually to an incoming first year student at the University of Maine School of Law who has demonstrated both academic excellence and a commitment to immigration issues. The Immigration Law Fellow will be invited to policy meetings, be assured placement in Maine Law’s Refugee and Human Rights Clinic for a semester in the 2nd or 3rd year of law school, receive academic advising by Professor Anna Welch who oversees the Refugee & Human Rights Clinic as well as guaranteed independent writing supervision on topics relating to immigration issues by Clinical Professor Welch.
The McKusick Diversity Fellowship provides tuition and other support to students from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds, with a goal of increasing the diversity of the student body at the University of Maine School of Law and in Maine’s legal community. It honors the late Vincent L. McKusick (1921-2014), former Chief Justice of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court. The lead gifts for the McKusick Diversity Fellowship Fund came from the law firm of Pierce Atwood LLP and Dr. Victor McKusick, the Chief’s twin brother. Numerous colleagues and admirers helped to build this endowment. McKusick Fellows receive an honors scholarship for all three years at Maine Law, have an opportunity for a paid internship at Pierce Atwood, and join a stellar community of current and past McKusick Fellows.
The Refugee & Human Rights Fellowship is awarded annually to an incoming first year student at the University of Maine School of Law who has demonstrated both academic excellence and a commitment to Refugee & Human Rights issues. The Refugee & Human Rights Fellow will be invited to policy meetings, be invited to a special reception concurrent with our Justice For Women Lecture Series, be assured placement in the Refugee and Human Rights Clinic for a semester in the 2nd or 3rd year of law school, receive academic advising by Clinical Professor Anna Welch who oversees the Refugee & Human Rights Clinic as well as guaranteed independent writing supervision on topics relating to immigration issues by Clinical Professor Welch.
The Women’s Law Association at Maine Law is pleased to offer a Fellowship to an incoming first year student at the University of Maine School of Law with a demonstrated interest in advancing women’s rights and gender inclusivity. We especially welcome applicants interested in issues of intersectionality with LGBTQ, racial, and economic justice. The Fellowship is open to any incoming student regardless of gender identity. The WLA Fellow will be granted a $1,000 award* and academic advising by Professor Jessica Feinberg whose legal scholarship focuses on gender and sexuality law. In addition, the current WLA board members will be pleased to serve as upper-class mentors to the WLA Fellow, welcome you as a member of WLA, and encourage you to pursue a leadership role within the organization. Please submit a one-page statement of interest to lawadmissions@maine.edu.
*The award will be provided as a cash award upon selection as the WLA Fellow and is therefore reportable income subject to taxation.
The Youth Justice Fellowship is awarded annually to an incoming first year student at the University of Maine School of Law who demonstrates a high level of commitment to, and interest in, youth justice studies and policy. The Fellowship provides you with access to youth justice policy meetings throughout the state under the supervision of Professor Sarah Branch who oversees Maine Law’s Youth Justice Clinic and Jill Ward who directs Maine Law’s Center for Youth Policy and Law. Professor Branch will also be designated as the Fellow’s faculty advisor while they attend Maine Law.
Fellowships for Current Students
The Fellowships listed below are for current students at the University of Maine School of Law. Unless otherwise noted, applications for these are managed by the Career Services Office.
In early 2020, augmenting its Ocean and Coastal program, Maine Law launched the innovative Arctic Law Fellowship program. This new program provides opportunities for students to study the intersections of law and science coupled (pre-pandemic) with field experiences at an Arctic location. Charles H. Norchi, the Benjamin Thompson Professor of Law at Maine Law, supervises the Arctic Law Fellows.
The Bernstein District Court Fellows Program gives first-year and second-year students at the Law School an opportunity to spend the summer working as clerks for participating Maine State District Court judges and occasionally on special projects for the court system. Up to four full-time or eight part-time fellowships (depending on the availability of funds) are awarded each year on the basis of academic performance, financial need, and demonstrated professionalism. Bernstein Fellows each receive a stipend of $5,000.
These fellowships are intended to encourage and assist first-year and second-year students who plan to enter nontraditional legal careers in business – particularly entrepreneurial endeavors that will build economic growth in Maine. The foundation that supports the fellowships is funded by a generous Maine Law alumnus. Students interested in applying for the fellowship must find an entrepreneurial business setting in Maine in which s/he would like to work and then submit a fellowship proposal. A stipend of up to $5,000 for 300 hours of work over an 8-10 week period during the summer is paid to successful applicants (a stipend for less than full-time work may be awarded on a prorated basis). Fellowship recipients in recent years have done such things as establish a record label and issue a CD of music, help with the expansion of a Portland-based wine importing and distribution business, serve as an intern at various local start-up businesses, and form a boutique consulting firm to assist small businesses expand their operations into international markets.
The James M. Roux Fellowship was established by Arnie Macdonald and Liza Moore for the benefit of the Summer Intern Program at the Cumberland Legal Aid Clinic. During their second year of law school, a Roux Fellow will be selected through a highly competitive process for work as a summer intern at the Clinic. Every year the Roux Fellow will have the opportunity to get invaluable experience representing clients in every phase of litigation. They will assist prisoners with civil issues, youth struggling in their communities and their schools, victims of domestic violence, and many others throughout Maine who likely would not have an advocate for their legal issues without the Clinic.
James M. Roux was a 1984 alumnus of Maine Law. After graduating, Jim served in the U.S. Army as Judge Advocate General with the 82d Airborne Division. He returned to private practice and became a preeminent trial lawyer. In the last years of his practice, Jim shifted his focus to plaintiffs’ work, championing underdogs who could not otherwise be heard. He also developed an interest in the plight of the Nepalese Sherpa people after his treks to Mount Everest Base Camp. He was headed back to Southeast Asia when killed in the September 11 terrorist attacks. Jim was a dedicated lawyer and proud Mainer.
The Law School’s Legislative Fellowship Program gives first-year and second-year students an opportunity to serve as summer interns with the legislative branch of Maine’s state government. The fellowships are funded by contributions from the Law Alumni Association and other organizations and donors. One or two part-time fellowships are awarded, and each carries a stipend of $2,500 for 150 hours of work during the summer months. Interested students usually contact one of the state legislative leadership offices and arrange to do an unpaid summer internship as the basis for the fellowship application. It is expected that work done by Legislative Fellows will be of a generally non-partisan nature.
This fellowship is offered by the Maine Women’s Policy Center (MWPC) in partnership with the Law School and the Justice For Women Lecture Series, and supports a Maine Law student working full-time during the summer for the MWPC. It is named for a Maine Law graduate who played a key role in founding the MWPC and its affiliated organization, the Maine Women’s Lobby. The fellowship funds a $6,000 stipend and is open to first-year or second-year students with strong academic skills and a commitment to equity for women. The Fellow provides research, analysis, and public policy development on issues related to women and girls. The application process is administered by the Law School.
The Law School’s MAPIL (Maine Association for Public Interest Law) Fellowship Program enables a small number of first-year and second-year students to serve as summer interns with various public interest organizations and agencies that would otherwise be unable to afford the interns’ services. The stipend is $5,000 for; 300 hours of work over an 8-10 week period during the summer months (full-time) or $2,500 for 150 hours over the same period (part-time). The number of fellowships awarded depends on the availability of funding. These fellowships are funded by MAPIL and the Law School community’s support at the spring MAPIL auction, as well as by contributions from the Law Alumni Association and other organizations and donors. The number of Fellowships awarded each year depends on the level of funding and the quality of the applications. The fellowships are available for summer internships at: (1) nonprofit organizations that provide direct legal services to indigent individuals; (2) other nonprofit organizations, including social service agencies, civil rights organizations, environmental groups, consumer organizations, and the like that provide direct legal assistance and expertise to traditionally unrepresented or under-represented persons and interests; and (3) governmental agencies in connection with projects that provide direct legal services to individual members of the public who are disadvantaged. Host organizations can be located in Maine or elsewhere (including abroad), and students are encouraged to expand their exploration of internship opportunities beyond the Portland metropolitan area.
The Roger A. Putnam Fellowship gives a student an opportunity to gain experience in important dimensions of lawyering, including: client counseling, ethics, investigation, pre-trial practice, oral and written advocacy, case strategy, negotiation, document drafting, conducting trials, and appellate practice. The Putnam Fellow is selected in his or her second-year of law school through a competitive process and receives a modest stipend for work as a summer intern at the Cumberland Legal Aid Clinic. The Clinic provides legal assistance to low-income residents of Maine. Its mission reflects the lifelong work of Roger Putnam, who has delighted in mentoring young lawyers in the art and skill of trial advocacy and who devoted a significant portion of his career to ensuring that all Mainers have access to our system of justice. Roger A. Putnam is a beloved leader in the Maine Bar and community and Senior Counsel and former Senior Partner at the law firm of Verrill Dana, which he joined in 1958. The Putnam Fellowship is awarded annually by the Cumberland Legal Aid Clinic.
The Rural Law Fellowship pairs students with rural lawyers who serve as mentors, and provides students with direct exposure to rural practice to inspire them to consider pursuing careers in these communities. It is the result of a collaboration between the Law School, the Maine Justice Foundation, the Maine State Bar Association, and the Maine Board of Overseers of the Bar. The three-year pilot funding for these fellowships was provided by the Maine Justice Foundation. The funding to continue the program for the next three years is being provided through a grant from the Betterment Fund.
Beginning in the summer of 2017, Maine Law received funding from the Maine Justice Foundation to place two rising 2L students with rural practitioners. Students selected for the fellowship work in the summers under the guidance of practitioners on legal research and drafting, dispute resolution, general practice case management, real estate transactions, trial practice, and ethics. Fellows are also encouraged to perform volunteer work for legal aid providers in the area where they are serving as fellows.
Students work full-time for 10 weeks over the summer. Rising 2L students are paid a $6,000 stipend and rising 3L students are paid a $7,500 stipend.
Departmental Fellowships for Current Students
The Admissions Fellowship is a scholarship position for a second or third-year student. The student will work an average of 5-10 hours per week during the academic year. It is a one-year appointment with the possibility of renewal for a second year.
The Admissions Fellow is an integral member of the Admissions Team, assisting and developing recruitment efforts, event planning, and leadership of the Student Ambassador Program.
The Student Services Fellowship, a paid position for a 2L or 3L student, requires a commitment of 8 hours per week during the academic year. It is a one-year appointment with the possibility of renewal for a second year.
The Fellow assists with several duties, including working with the SBA and other student organizations, organizing events sponsored by the Office of Student Services, helping with the planning and implementation of Orientation, assisting LL.M. and exchange program students, and providing general support to the Office. The overall focus of the position is the Office’s work in student life.
The Technology Department Fellowship is a paid position for a current Maine Law student. This position requires a time commitment of 10-15 hours per week during the academic year, and some work during the break between fall and spring semesters.
The Fellow will coordinate with Maine Law staff, SBA, and other student organizations to assist with recording and digitizing Maine Law events for archive development in all appropriate platforms: YouTube, Digital Commons, etc. The Fellow may be responsible for live social media posts at events.