Fellowships for Incoming Students

If you are an incoming student interested in being considered for a Fellowship, please send a one page statement of interest by email to lawadmissions@maine.edu.

Center for Law + Innovation Privacy Law Fellowship
The Center for Law + Innovation Privacy Law Fellowship is awarded annually to an incoming first year student at the University of Maine School of Law who demonstrates both academic excellence and aptitude and interest in the study of Information Privacy Law. In addition to a tuition scholarship, the Privacy Law Fellow will be granted an internship during the summer between their 1L and 2L years with the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) in Portsmouth, NH; academic advising by Visiting Professor of Practice, Peter J. Guffin, Esq.; mentoring by IAPP Research Director Rita Heimes, Esq.; a one year IAPP student membership; complete access to IAPP online training and testing; and the opportunity to earn the CIPP/US, CIPP/E, CIPM or CIPT credential.
The Disability Civil Rights Fellowship is awarded annually to an incoming first year student at the University of Maine School of Law who has demonstrated both academic excellence and a commitment to the pursuit of work in the public interest. The Fellowship provides an opportunity to work with Disability Rights Maine (DRM), a non-profit organization that serves as Maine’s protection and advocacy agency for people with disabilities. DRM’s attorneys and advocates represent people whose rights have been violated or who have been discriminated against based on their disability; provide training on rights and self-advocacy; and advocate for public policy reform. The Disability Civil Rights Fellow will be granted a summer placement with DRM during their first summer, and will have the opportunity to do research; have contact with DRM clients; train people with disabilities and those who control or otherwise impact their lives; participate in client meetings; and assist with hearings and court proceedings. The Fellow will also receive academic advising from the Director of the Cumberland Legal Aid Clinic (CLAC), Professor Deirdre Smith, a 3 or 6 credit seat in one of the CLAC clinics (provided all pre-requisites are satisfied), and access to DRM and its national network of 57 protection and advocacy organizations.
The Economic Justice Fellowship is awarded annually to an incoming first year student at the University of Maine School of Law who demonstrates academic excellence, a commitment to work in the public interest, and a keen interest in economic justice and community development.  The Economic Justice Fellow will work closely with faculty in curricular and career planning, research, and placement in field opportunities with organizations engaged in affordable housing, community economic development, or development finance. Fellows are granted a stipend for a full-time summer internship with such institutions and may also arrange for part-time placements for credit during the academic year. The faculty coordinator for the Economic Justice Fellowship is Professor Peter Pitegoff, former Dean of Maine Law and an expert in community-based economic development.
The Energy and Environmental Law Fellowship (E&E Fellow) is awarded annually to an incoming first year student at the University of Maine School of Law who has demonstrated both academic excellence and a commitment to the pursuit of work in the public interest. The E&E Fellow will be granted a fellowship during their first summer involving energy, environmental and/or land use issues, academic advising by the faculty advisor of the Energy and Environmental Law Society, a 3 credit seat in one of the environmental-related seminars or practicums, as well as invitations to meetings and workshops in these subject areas in the Portland area. The Fellow will also receive from the Law School a paid membership in the Environmental and Energy Technology Council of Maine (E2Tech), which will enable the Fellow to attend many educational and networking opportunities with professionals and business-people working in the E2Tech Sectors.
The Immigration Law Fellowship is awarded annually to an incoming first year student at the University of Maine School of Law who has demonstrated both academic excellence and a commitment to immigration issues. The Immigration Law Fellow will be invited to policy meetings, be assured placement in Maine Law’s Refugee and Human Rights Clinic for a semester in the 2nd or 3rd year of law school, receive academic advising by Clinical Professor Anna Welch who oversees the Refugee & Human Rights Clinic as well as guaranteed independent writing supervision on topics relating to immigration issues by Clinical Professor Welch.
The Juvenile Justice Fellowship is awarded annually to an incoming first year student at the University of Maine School of Law who demonstrates a high level of commitment to, and interest in, juvenile justice studies and policy. The Fellowship provides you with access to juvenile justice policy meetings throughout the state under the supervision of Clinical Professor Christopher Northrop who oversees Maine Law’s Juvenile Justice Clinic. Clinical Professor Northrop will also be designated as the Fellow’s faculty advisor while they attend Maine Law.
The McKusick Diversity Fellowship provides tuition and other support to students from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds, with a goal of increasing the diversity of the student body at the University of Maine School of Law and in Maine’s legal community. It honors the late Vincent L. McKusick (1921-2014), former Chief Justice of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court. The lead gifts for the McKusick Diversity Fellowship Fund came from the law firm of Pierce Atwood LLP and Dr. Victor McKusick, the Chief’s twin brother. Numerous colleagues and admirers helped to build this endowment. McKusick Fellows receive an honors scholarship for all three years at Maine Law, have an opportunity for a paid internship at Pierce Atwood, and join a stellar community of current and past McKusick Fellows.
The Refugee & Human Rights Fellowship is awarded annually to an incoming first year student at the University of Maine School of Law who has demonstrated both academic excellence and a commitment to Refugee & Human Rights issues. The Refugee & Human Rights Fellow will be invited to policy meetings, be invited to a special reception concurrent with our Justice For Women lecture series, be assured placement in the Refugee and Human Rights Clinic for a semester in the 2nd or 3rd year of law school, receive academic advising by Clinical Professor Anna Welch who oversees the Refugee & Human Rights Clinic as well as guaranteed independent writing supervision on topics relating to immigration issues by Clinical Professor Welch.

The Susan Calkins Public Interest Fellowship is named for retired Maine Supreme Judicial Court Justice Susan Calkins.  The Susan Calkins Public Interest Fellowship is awarded annually to an incoming first year student at the University of Maine School of Law who demonstrates both academic excellence and a commitment to the pursuit of work in the public interest.  In addition to a tuition scholarship, the Calkins Fellow will be granted a summer public interest fellowship during their first summer, academic advising by the Director of the Cumberland Legal Aid Clinic (CLAC), a 3 or 6 credit seat in one of the CLAC clinics (provided all pre-requisites are satisfied), invitations to public interest policy meetings, and access to loan repayment funds for qualifying post-graduate employment.

Justice Calkins is an alumna of the University of Maine School of Law.  She was formerly the Executive Director of Pine Tree Legal Assistance in Portland, Maine and a staff attorney there for over ten years.  She was appointed to the Maine District Court in 1980, and she was later named the first Chief Judge of that court. She served briefly on the Maine Superior Court, and in 1998 she was appointed by Governor King to the Maine Supreme Judicial Court, where she served until 2007.  A former clerk noted that Justice Calkins was “both the model of the kind of lawyer that I hoped to be – one who tries to use the law to make people’s lives better – and the kind of judge that I hoped would hear my client’s cases – careful, thoughtful, and conscious of the real-world impact of legal interpretation.” Justice Calkins exemplifies a commitment to work in the public interest.

 

Fellowships for Current Students

The Fellowships listed below are for current students at the University of Maine School of Law. Unless otherwise noted, applications for these are managed by the Career Services Office. 

Bernstein Fellowships

The Bernstein District Court Fellows Program gives first-year and second-year students at the Law School an opportunity to spend the summer working as clerks for participating Maine State District Court judges and occasionally on special projects for the court system. Up to four full-time or eight part-time fellowships (depending on the availability of funds) are awarded each year on the basis of academic performance, financial need, and demonstrated professionalism. Bernstein Fellows each receive a stipend of $3,000.

These fellowships are intended to encourage and assist first-year and second-year students who plan to enter nontraditional legal careers in business – particularly entrepreneurial endeavors that will build economic growth in Maine. The foundation that supports the fellowships is funded by a generous Maine Law alumnus. Students interested in applying for the fellowship must find an entrepreneurial business setting in Maine in which s/he would like to work and then submit a fellowship proposal. A stipend of up to $4,000 for ten weeks of full-time summer work is paid to successful applicants (a stipend for less than full-time work may be awarded on a prorated basis). Fellowship recipients in recent years have done such things as establish a record label and issue a CD of music, help with the expansion of a Portland-based wine importing and distribution business, serve as an intern at various local start-up businesses, and form a boutique consulting firm to assist small businesses expand their operations into international markets.
The Harvey Fellowship is named in honor and memory of the late “Chuck” Harvey, a preeminent Portland trial lawyer who graduated from Maine Law. It provides an intensive trial practice experience to a student during the summer following his/her second year at the Law School. The student selected for the fellowship works alongside experienced and skilled trial lawyers preparing for and conducting jury and bench trials of civil and criminal cases. Students ordinarily apply for the fellowship following their first-year. A committee of lawyers, judges, and law faculty select one Fellow each year, based on demonstrated interest, aptitude, and potential in becoming a trial lawyer. The Fellowship Coordinator (an experienced trial lawyer selected by the committee on a rotating basis) works with the Fellow to arrange a schedule consistent with the Fellow’s other summer commitments. The fellowship comes with a stipend of $4,000.
The Cushman D. Anthony Fellowship gives a student an opportunity to work on child-based policy issues and to develop general practice litigation skills. It is named in honor of Cushman Anthony, Cumberland Legal Aid Clinic’s founder and first director. Students apply during the fall of their second-year. A committee of law faculty selects one Fellow each year, based on a commitment to public service, interest and aptitude in policy work, and a desire to develop trial skills. The Fellow spends time representing plaintiffs in Protection From Abuse proceedings at the Lewiston District Court and juveniles in the capacity of “Lawyer of the Day” in Juvenile Court proceedings at the Biddeford District Court. The other Fellowship hours are designated for policy work, and the Fellow assists Professor Christopher Northrop with ongoing juvenile policy projects. In addition, the Fellow is encouraged to pursue a child focused project of his/her choosing. The Cushman D. Anthony Fellowship is awarded annually by the Cumberland Legal Aid Clinic.
The Horace Libby Fund was established in honor of Horace S. Libby, who served as Chief Counsel to the Maine Public Utilities Commission (PUC) for fourteen years. The Fund supports a student summer internship at the PUC. Interested first-year and second-year students apply for a summer internship position with the PUC through the Spring On-Campus Interview Program, and the fellowship is available to the student who is chosen by the PUC, subject to academic performance, financial need, and demonstrated professionalism. The stipend is $3,000.
The Law School’s Legislative Fellowship Program gives first-year and second-year students an opportunity to serve as summer interns with the legislative branch of Maine’s state government. The fellowships are funded by contributions from the Law Alumni Association and other organizations and donors. One or two part-time fellowships are awarded, and each carries a stipend of $1,500 for 200 hours of work during the summer months. Interested students usually contact one of the state legislative leadership offices and arrange to do an unpaid summer internship as the basis for the fellowship application. It is expected that work done by Legislative Fellows will be of a generally non-partisan nature.
This fellowship is offered by the Maine Women’s Policy Center (MWPC) in partnership with the Law School and the Justice For Women Lecture Series, and supports a Maine Law student working full-time during the summer for the MWPC. It is named for a Maine Law graduate who played a key role in founding the MWPC and its affiliated organization, the Maine Women’s Lobby. The fellowship funds a $6,000 stipend and is open to first-year or second-year students with strong academic skills and a commitment to equity for women. The Fellow provides research, analysis, and public policy development on issues related to women and girls. The application process is administered by the Law School.
The Law School’s MAPIL (Maine Association for Public Interest Law) Fellowship Program enables a small number of first-year and second-year students to serve as summer interns with various public interest organizations and agencies that would otherwise be unable to afford the interns’ services. The stipend is $4,000 for ten weeks of full-time work, $2,000 for half-time. These fellowships are funded by MAPIL and the Law School community’s support at the spring MAPIL auction, as well as by contributions from the Law Alumni Association and other organizations and donors. The number of Fellowships awarded each year depends on the level of funding and the quality of the applications. The fellowships are available for summer internships at: (1) nonprofit organizations that provide direct legal services to indigent individuals; (2) other nonprofit organizations, including social service agencies, civil rights organizations, environmental groups, consumer organizations, and the like that provide direct legal assistance and expertise to traditionally unrepresented or under-represented persons and interests; and (3) governmental agencies in connection with projects that provide direct legal services to individual members of the public who are disadvantaged. Host organizations can be located in Maine or elsewhere (including abroad), and students are encouraged to expand their exploration of internship opportunities beyond the Portland metropolitan area.
The Roger A. Putnam Fellowship gives a student an opportunity to gain experience in important dimensions of lawyering, including: client counseling, ethics, investigation, pre-trial practice, oral and written advocacy, case strategy, negotiation, document drafting, conducting trials, and appellate practice. The Putnam Fellow is selected in his or her second-year of law school through a competitive process and receives a modest stipend for work as a summer intern at the Cumberland Legal Aid Clinic. The Clinic provides legal assistance to low-income residents of Maine. Its mission reflects the lifelong work of Roger Putnam, who has delighted in mentoring young lawyers in the art and skill of trial advocacy and who devoted a significant portion of his career to ensuring that all Mainers have access to our system of justice. Roger A. Putnam is a beloved leader in the Maine Bar and community and Senior Counsel and former Senior Partner at the law firm of Verrill Dana, which he joined in 1958. The Putnam Fellowship is awarded annually by the Cumberland Legal Aid Clinic.

Beginning in the summer of 2017, Maine Law received funding from the Maine Justice Foundation to place two rising 2L students with rural practitioners. Students selected for the fellowship work in the summers under the guidance of practitioners on legal research and drafting, dispute resolution, general practice case management, real estate transactions, trial practice, and ethics. Fellows will also be encouraged to perform volunteer work for legal aid providers in the area where they are serving as fellows.  For the inaugural summer, two students were placed as fellows in Aroostook County, but the fellows will rotate to different areas in subsequent summers. The Fellows work for 10 weeks over the summer and are paid a $6,000 stipend. This project is a collaboration between the Law School, the Maine Justice Foundation, the Maine State Bar Association, and the Maine Board of Bar Overseers.

Departmental Fellowships for Current Students

The Admissions Fellowship is a scholarship position for a second or third-year student. The student will work an average of 5-10 hours per week during the academic year. It is a one-year appointment with the possibility of renewal for a second year.

The Admissions Fellow is an integral member of the Admissions Team, assisting and developing recruitment efforts, event planning, and leadership of the Student Ambassador Program.

The Advancement Fellowship, a paid position for a second or third-year student, requires a commitment of 10 to 12 hours per week during the academic year. It is a one-year appointment with the possibility of renewal for a second year.

The Advancement Fellow can expect to:

  • assist with all tasks required to run a successful Annual Fund Campaign,
  • help plan a number of regional events for alumni,
  • assist with the Alumni/Student mentoring program, and
  • assist with efforts to thank and steward our many donors

The Student Services Fellowship, a paid position for a 2L or 3L student, requires a commitment of 8 hours per week during the academic year. It is a one-year appointment with the possibility of renewal for a second year.

The Fellow assists with several duties, including working with the SBA and other student organizations, organizing events sponsored by the Office of Student Services, helping with the planning and implementation of Orientation, assisting LL.M. and exchange program students, and providing general support to the Office. The overall focus of the position is the Office’s work in student life.

The Technology Department Fellowship is a paid position for a current Maine Law student.  This position requires a time commitment of 10-15 hours per week during the academic year, and some work during the break between fall and spring semesters.

The Fellow will coordinate with Maine Law staff, SBA, and other student organizations to assist with recording and digitizing Maine Law events for archive development in all appropriate platforms: Youtube, Digital Commons, etc. The Fellow will be responsible for live tweeting at events.