The Arthur Liman Center for Public Interest Law supports Yale undergraduates and Yale Law School graduates working in the public interest. Public interest law includes a variety of types of law-related work done in furtherance of the public good. Examples of organizations doing such work include non-profit offices that provide representation for individuals who cannot afford attorneys, organizations that advocate on behalf of underserved communities, and non-profits and government offices that shape public policy.

The Liman Summer Fellowship offers students an opportunity to work at public interest organizations. Individuals who are selected to receive Summer Fellowships are required to submit final reports about their summer experiences by September 15, and they are required to participate in the Liman Public Interest Law Colloquium, an annual event held every spring at Yale Law School. For example, for the twentieth annual Colloquium, the topic was “Liman at 20: Public Interest(s).” Other Colloquia topics have been “Moving Criminal Justice;” “Navigating Boundaries: Immigration and Criminal Law;” and “Liman at 15: Accessing Justice, Rationing Law.” Through their involvement with the Liman Center, Summer Fellows become part of a large network of public interest advocates and scholars.

Fellowships are offered to students at Barnard, Brown, Bryn Mawr, Harvard, Princeton (undergraduate and graduate), Spelman, Stanford, and Yale. Students seeking information about Liman Summer Fellowships at schools other than Yale should contact their program administrators, as each school has its own process and specific application forms and requirements.

Examples of Host Organizations

Organizations throughout the United States have hosted Liman Summer Fellows. The placement organization must be a qualified nonprofit, including 501(c)(3) organizations, based in the United States. No fellowships are awarded for placements at for-profit organizations. The Fellowship is not restricted to particular substantive areas.

A host of organizations serve the public interest across a variety of practice areas, including immigrants’ rights and deportation defense, housing advocacy, labor and workers’ rights, indigent criminal defense, death penalty representation, prisoners’ rights, civil liberties, children and family services, public interest media, prison re-entry, disability rights, mental health advocacy, and education.

View a complete list of host organizations and former Summer Fellows.