Application & Selection

FAQs  Project Fellowship Application Tips

NOTE: RJWR Fellowship applications will automatically be considered for the NYU Public Interest Law Center (PILC) Fellowship. You do not need to submit separate applications.

Application & Selection

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Applications for the 2026 NYU RJWR Fellowship are now closed.

PILC Engagement Requirement

In order to be considered for the NYU RJWR Fellowship, all applicants must meet with a PILC counselor to discuss their post-graduate job search and their fellowship proposal at least three weeks before the application deadline. 

 

Students who have already met with a PILC counselor in the context of preparing their proposed project for other fellowship applications are not required to do so again. Students who have not yet met with a PILC counselor, as well as anyone who has questions or would like to discuss the program further, should make an appointment with Katie Neilson.

Application Components

Completed RJWR Fellowship Application, which includes

• Application Cover Page
• Job Search Engagement Form
• Project Proposal (300-500 words) describing:
  1. The need that the project would address.
  2. The goals of the project.
  3. The work that the fellow will undertake.
• Personal Statement (300-500 words) discussing:
  1. Applicant’s career goals and how this fellowship would contribute to those goals.
  2. Applicant’s skills and knowledge, including relevant clinics, internships, student group involvement and coursework.

Additional Components

• Resume (up to two pages)
• Host Organization Commitment Letter (300-500 words) describing:
  1. The mission, current programs and staff of the organization.
  2. The training and supervision that the fellow would receive, including the name and experience of the lawyer who would supervise the fellow.
  3. How the applicant’s project would support the organization’s mission.
• Two Letters of Recommendation
  • One academic recommendation and one professional recommendation. See PILC guidance on letters of recommendation about this distinction and for general advice around letters of recommendations.
  • The letters can be addressed to NYU RJWR Fellowship Selection Committee at 245 Sullivan Street, Room 430

Submission Instructions

After completing the application packet, add the additional application documents to the PDF. 

 

Save the complete application file as [LastName], [FirstName] – PILC Fellowship App, and submit it through the PILC Fellowship Application Portal. Your application will be under consideration by both the RJWR and PILC selection committees.

 

*NOTE: Letters of recommendation can be submitted either as part of the application, or directly by the recommender through the application portal.

Fellowship Selection Process & Timeline

NYU RJWR Fellows are selected by a selection committee consisting of one law school faculty member and one to two former RJWR fellows.

 

Selection criteria include:

• Applicant’s qualifications, including commitment to public interest work.
• Quality and potential impact of the proposed work.
• Relevance of the proposed work to the applicant’s career goals.
• Applicant’s job search and engagement with PILC.

 

Finalists will be invited to interview with the committee, generally in early to mid-March, at the law school or over Zoom, and selection will take place shortly thereafter.

 

Please reach out to Katie Neilson with any questions not answered here or in the FAQs.