Law Fellowships
CRLA is committed to the development of new attorneys through comprehensive training and mentoring.
Fellowships with CRLA provide law students and recent law graduates an opportunity to develop legal expertise in the areas of housing, employment, environmental justice, education, and health.
We sponsor law graduates applying to law foundation or law school fellowship programs and offer our own CRLA Rural Justice Fellowships.
Law Fellowship Sponsorship
CRLA annually sponsors law graduates applying to law foundation and law school one- and two-year fellowship programs.
We are proud to have hosted or sponsored Skadden Foundation, Equal Justice Works, Berkeley Law Foundation, and Dan Bradley fellows, among others.
CRLA seeks law fellows who demonstrate a strong commitment to working with rural Californians and addressing the primary issues that affect their lives.
To apply for a fellowship sponsorship to a law foundation or law school fellowship program:
- Identify the law foundation and law school fellowships available to you.
- Download our fellowship prospectus to identify projects and CRLA offices that interest you, and for more instructions on how to complete your application.
- Submit your cover letter, project description, and resume via email only to probonosupport@crla.org by July 8, 2024.
Please note: some fellowship program application deadlines are as early as mid-September.
If chosen, CRLA will work closely with you during your fellowship application process to secure funding.
Fellows who successfully complete their fellowship program will be strongly considered for longer term employment with CRLA.
CRLA Rural Justice Fellowships
CRLA’s own Rural Justice Fellowships are another way to join our team of dedicated, cause-oriented attorneys, community workers, and support staff.
Strong candidates for CRLA Rural Justice Fellowships are:
- Committed to using legal training and experiences to create more justice for low-income immigrants, farmworkers, individuals with disabilities, LGBTQ+ communities, and children and families in rural areas.
- Willing to experience the joys and challenges of living in a rural community served by a CRLA office.
To apply for a Rural Justice Fellowship, please submit a cover letter and resume by email with “CRLA Rural Justice Fellowship” in the subject line to the Pro Bono Department at probonosupport@crla.org by Friday, February 28, 2025.
In your cover letter:
- Explain why you are interested in working with CRLA.
- Highlight the skills and experiences that you will bring to CRLA.
- Describe what motivates you to work in public interest law.
- Explain your motivation to work in a rural community.
- Describe any experiences you may have working or living in a rural community.
- Identify any challenges you anticipate as part of working or living in rural California.
The term of the CRLA Rural Justice Fellowship will be sixteen (16) months, from September 1, 2025 – December 31, 2026.
Salary will be paid pursuant to the CRLA Attorney salary scale set forth in the Collective Bargaining Agreement covering this position.
Fellowship placement will be in one of 16 field offices throughout rural California, to be determined by CRLA with consideration given to preferences of the candidate.
As with the law foundation and law school fellows, Rural Justice Fellows who successfully complete their fellowship program will be strongly considered for longer term employment with CRLA.
It is the policy of this organization to provide equal opportunities without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual preference, age, or disability.
