NYU School of Law

How to Apply

Each spring the Directors select a small number of second-year law students to be Hays Fellows in their third-year of law school.  Selection is based on written materials and interviews; criteria include legal ability and commitment to civil liberties. The fellows are selected in a participatory process that includes interviews by the co-directors, the current Hays Fellows and former fellows.

ARTHUR GARFIELD HAYS FELLOWSHIPS:    January, 2012

Second year students with demonstrated commitment to work in civil liberties and civil rights and strong skills are invited to apply for 2012-2013 Fellowships in the Arthur Garfield Hays Program.  Materials describing the Program and the selection process are available in VH room 308.  APPLICATIONS ARE DUE BY NOON ON MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2012 IN VH ROOM 308.

The current Hays Fellows will discuss their experiences in the Program and answer your questions in the East Wing of Golding Lounge from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 30 and again on Tuesday, Jan. 31 and show a video of the Hays program.  Please feel free to contact any of us if you have questions about the program or the application process.

Norman Dorsen
Sylvia A. Law
Helen Hershkoff

 INSTRUCTIONS

 ARTHUR GARFIELD HAYS FELLOWSHIPS 
 Robert Marshall Fellowship
 Roger N. Baldwin Fellowship
 Harriet Pilpel/Planned Parenthood Fellowship
 Palmer Weber Fellowship
 Leonard B. Boudin Fellowship
 Tom Stoddard Fellowship
 Deborah R. Linfield Fellowship
 Norman and Harriette Dorsen Fellowship [not awarded 2012-2013]
 

Instruction Sheet

Applications for Hays Fellowships are due in VH Room 308 at noon on Monday, February 6, 2012.  They should include the following material.

(1) a personal resume which includes one reference for each of the jobs you have held since college and one or more NYU law professors.  If possible, supply the telephone numbers and e-mail addresses of all persons named. Highlight the names of three references who best know your work.

(2) your law school courses and grades, including the names of instructors for each course.  Include the courses you are taking in the spring semester and the name of the instructor.  Please advise us promptly, in writing, as late third semester grades become available.

(3) a sample of legal writing.  Use anything you have personally written. We strongly prefer something other than a Lawyering memo.

(4) a letter of no more than two single-spaced pages explaining why you believe you are qualified to be a Hays Fellow.

(5) any other information you think would be helpful in appraising your application.

Print or type your full name, telephone number, e-mail address and Vanderbilt mailbox number on the top of the first page of your letter and your resume.

Application materials will be circulated to those involved in the selection process, including the current Fellows, and will be held in confidence.

Selections will be based on demonstrated interest and effectiveness in civil liberties or public interest law, academic record, writing and research skills, and recommendations from faculty and supervisors.  We seek a group of Fellows who are diverse, collegial and independent thinkers willing to engage. Six fellowships are usually awarded annually.

Hays Fellows work on a range of public interest projects involving civil liberties and civil rights.  The work can involve scholarly research, policy analysis, legislative or other legal activity.  Litigation usually predominates.  Most work is supervised by public interest lawyers in New York. Fellows sometimes spend some time working under the direction of one of the faculty directors.

 
The fellowship is for the academic year from late August to early May.  The fellows will receive a stipend of $14,000 in 2012-2013, as well as additional funds for program related travel expenses and bar review subsidies up to $1,500 for fellows who enter public interest work or are seeking such a position.  Fellows also receive one point of academic credit for satisfactory work done in the program each semester.

Each Hays Fellow is expected to put in a substantial amount of time on a regular basis.  Fellowship expectations are outlined in a separate memo. The time commitment generally precludes paid employment or other demanding extracurricular work such as editor-in-chief and, in some cases, senior editorships of journals.   If you plan to enroll in a clinic or other activity that requires long periods away from the Law School, that should be noted on the application.  If an applicant has a question about whether a commitment is consistent with a fellowship, it is very important that this be discussed with one of the directors prior to or at the interview.  Root-Tilden-Kern Scholars are eligible for Hays Fellowships but will not be selected absent exceptional circumstances because of the special opportunities provided to them in the Root program. The stipends for students who hold Root or Merit Scholarships will be reviewed individually.  They should discuss their situation with one of the faculty directors.

Please note the subjects of the eight named fellowships in particular areas of civil liberties (pages 6-7 of the Hays Program brochure).  These will be taken into account in the awards that are made.  At least one fellowship will be given to students especially interested in freedom of speech, press and religion.  Other fellowships have a focus on civil rights, reproductive freedom, international human rights and the rights of gay men and lesbians.  On the enclosed application check sheet, which should be submitted with your application, please indicate all fellowships for which you want to be considered and whether you have a special interest in any fellowships (one or two).  A difference among the fellowships is that we try to assure holders of fellowships devoted to a particular area of civil liberties an opportunity to work in that area for up to one semester.  We ordinarily will try to award fellowships linked to a particular area of civil liberties to applicants with some background in that area. Because we believe it is desirable for all fellows to obtain experience in more than one area, we discourage full year assignments.  All decisions on assignments are made in close consultation with the current fellows.  Since Professor Dorsen remains a director of the Program, the Fellowship in his name will not be awarded this year.
   
The current Hays Fellows will be available to talk with you about the program from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. in the East Wing of the Golding Lounge on Monday, January 30 and Tuesday, January 31.  The current fellows are:  You should feel free to contact them.

Applications should be submitted to Gail Thomas, the Hays secretary, in VH room 308 BY NOON ON Monday, FEBRUARY 6, 2012.  At that time you should indicate the times you are available for an interview.  Initial interviews will be held in Vanderbilt Hall, room 429, on Tuesday, February 14 from 2:00-6:00 pm, Wednesday, February 15 from 9:00-12:00 pm and Thursday, February 16 from 12:00-3:00 pm. Applicants will be individually notified as to whether they are invited for a second interview for finalists.  The interviewers for the first round will be Professors Sylvia A. Law and Adam Cox. Professors Norman Dorsen and Helen Hershkoff will conduct second round interviews.   Every effort will be made to announce selections prior to spring break.

                                                                                                            Norman Dorsen
                                                                                                            Sylvia A. Law
                                                                                                            Helen Hershkoff

INSTRUCTIONS COVER SHEET

ARTHUR GARFIELD HAYS CIVIL LIBERTIES PROGRAM

Application Checksheet

Name:  ____________________________

Email address: ______________________                                                                

Phone: ____________________________  

1.  Please be sure you have attached:

_____  Cover letter.

_____  Resume which includes references and telephone numbers.

_____  Law school grades including instructors's name for each course in first and second year.

_____  One sample of legal writing.

2.  Please list here ALL TIMES you ARE AVAILABLE for an interview on Tuesday, February 14 from 2:00-6:00 pm, Wednesday, February 15 from 9:00-12:00 pm and Thursday, February 16 from 12:00-3:00 pm. 

3.  Please indicate by a check next to each Hays fellowship whether you wish to be considered for that fellowship, which in part determines your assignments during the fellowship.  If you have a special interest in a fellowship, indicate that by writing "special interest" (no more than two).  The Norman and Harriette Dorsen Fellowship will not be awarded 2012-2013.

Robert Marshall _____________________
Roger Baldwin _____________________
Harriet Pilpel-Planned Parenthood ____________________
Palmer Weber ____________________
Leonard Boudin ____________________
Tom Stoddard ____________________
Deborah Linfield __________________

January, 2012

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