Law School Awards Fellowships to Fund Public Service Law Careers

The Harvard Law School (HLS) has awarded fellowships to 25 graduating students and recent alums pursuing careers in public service law, HLS announced last week.

The Kaufman Public Interest Fellowship grants students who receive the fellowship between $1,000 and $5,000 each year.

Kathryn C. Jones, a third-year law student who is one of the recipients, said the award is important because it acknowledges students who forgo the big money of corporate law firms to serve the public. Jones said she plans to become a public defender or get a policy job related to criminal justice.

"It is a nice recognition for people who want to do public service, because there aren't many people from the law school who go into public service," Jones said. "Most go and work for law firms."

Fellowship recipients will pursue a variety of forms of legal work in the public sector.

Recipient Sean Flynn, a third-year law student, plans to work at South Africa's Institute for Democracy and the South African Constitutional Court. He intends to study the practice of law in South Africa.

Jennifer Goldberg, a 1998 graduate of HLS, will be working as a women's law and public policy fellow at the Georgetown University Law Center's Domestic Violence Clinic in Washington, D.C. She will be helping to legally protect victims of domestic violence.

The fellowship was established in 1990 in honor of Irving R. Kaufman, a former judge on the U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals.

Kaufman spent 40 years as a federal judge, and is known for several important opinions regarding the First Amendment.

Recipients were selected for the fellowship based on leadership ability, academic record and potential to lead successful careers in public service, according to Alexa Shabecoff, director of the Office of Public Interest Advising at HLS.

A panel selected by HLS Dean Robert C. Clark chose the recipients, who submitted a resume and recommendations to the panel in March.

The amount of money granted was based on financial need, with those likely making less money receiving more aid, Shabecoff said.

Jacqueline A. Burke, a recipient who said she plans to work in the district attorney's office in Philadelphia, said the money will help her as she starts her career.

"I'm going to use the fellowship to pay off loans," she said. "It's always good to have extra money for starting off."

Though HLS does not specifically follow up on all of the students to whom it awards fellowships, the majority of recipients have continued careers in public service.

A 1996 survey by HLS showed that out of 75 students who had received fellowships since 1990, 70 were still working in careers that promoted the public interest.

Although HLS was not able to grant fellowships to all who applied, another program, the HLS low income protection plan, helps students pay off loans, Shabecoff said.

"Even these people will have some of their debts paid, which allows people to do public interest work despite the fact that they have a low salary," she said.