Weil Legal Innovators Program - Public Service Fellowship for Rising Law Students

The Weil Legal Innovators Program (WLI) engages incoming law school students in addressing some of the most pressing social and legal challenges in our communities today. Innovators defer their first year of law school to work at a WLI partner nonprofit organization for a paid public service fellowship, executing a strategic initiative designed to leverage their business acumen and commitment to public service, while amplifying the impact of the nonprofits and their important missions.

Applications for the 2021-2022 WLI Program are currently open and will close on March 19, 2021.

2021-2022 Nonprofit Partners

Applicants will be able to identify their first and second choice Innovator opportunity at the following 15 leading national and international nonprofit organizations based across the United States:

• ACLU of Texas
• Ashoka
• The Aspen Institute
• Earthwatch
• Human Rights Watch
• Innocence Project
• Met Council
• Ms. Foundation
• National Urban League
• National Women's Law Center
• Oxfam
• Posse Foundation
• Tahirih Justice Center
• United Way of New York City
• Youth INC

Remote work: Note that in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, many of our nonprofit partners are currently operating in a remote environment and will likely continue operating remotely by the commencement of the Innovator’s working year (July 2021). Should you be selected to move forward in the WLI interview process, we will work with you and our nonprofit partners to clarify expectations around where work will take place.

Eligibility

All students who have been accepted to and intend to attend one of the eight WLI law school partners are eligible to apply to the program:

• Berkeley School of Law
• Columbia University Law School
• Duke University School of Law
• Georgetown University Law Center
• Harvard Law School
• New York University School of Law
• University of Michigan Law School
• University of Pennsylvania Law School

Eligibility is open to students with prior professional experience, as well as students applying directly to law school from an undergraduate institution. The WLI Steering Committee aims to identify a class of innovators for the WLI program that is diverse in many regards including demographic background, educational background, work experience, geographic representation, and diversity in thought.