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Local Government Law Fellowship

About
Created in 2012, the Virginia State Bar (VSB) Local Government Fellowship seeks to attract promising future attorneys to the practice of local government law in the Commonwealth of Virginia. To this end, the Board of Governors of the VSB Local Government Section will award a $4,000 fellowship to an outstanding first or second-year law student who has committed to working full-time for a minimum of 10 weeks at a Virginia local government attorney's office during the summer of 2024, or divide the fellowship between two students working full-time for a minimum of 5 weeks each. The Fellow will also have the opportunity to submit an article on a local government topic or an interview for potential publication in the VSB's quarterly Journal of Local Government Law.

Eligibility and Fellowship Award Criteria
Eligibility. To be eligible for the Fellowship students must: (1) be currently enrolled as a 1L or 2L J.D. candidate at an ABA-accredited law school; and (2) have accepted an offer to work at a local government attorney's office in Virginia during the summer of 2024. Students committed to working for a minimum of 10 weeks (40 hours a week) will receive priority in selection, but students committed to working a minimum of 5 weeks (40 hours a week) are also eligible for a partial fellowship. Please note: A"local government attorney's office" means a city, county, or town attorney's office that serves as inhouse counsel to a Virginia local government. It does not include a Commonwealth's Attorney's Office or a Public Defender's Office.

Fellowship Award Criteria. The Fellowship will be awarded based on a record of excellent academic achievement and a demonstrated interest in, and commitment to, public service, particularly in local government practice. Preference will be given to interns working for smaller localities or those with a high fiscal stress index.

Application Requirements
The following materials must be submitted electronically to the VSB Board of Governors of the Local Government Section at vsblocalgovernment@gmail.com no later than April 1, 2024 at 5:00 p.m.:

  • A completed Fellowship Application Form .
  • A resume that includes information about the student's education and work/internship/public service experience.
  • An essay no longer than 1 page (single-spaced, at least 11-point font) that addresses the student's interest in, and commitment to, a career in local government law or in public service generally.
  • An official or unofficial law school transcript created by the applicant's law school.

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