About the Fellowship
The ABA Legal Education Police Practices Consortium Fellowship is now accepting applications from students of Consortium-member law schools for its 2026-2027 program.
The ABA Legal Education Police Practices Consortium (LEPPC) formed to contribute to the national effort to examine and address legal issues in policing and public safety, including conduct, oversight, and the evolving nature of police work. The Consortium leverages the ABA’s expertise in developing model police practices and that of participating ABA-accredited law schools to collaborate on projects to develop and implement better police practices throughout the United States.
The work of the fellowship enables students to contribute to the effort of advancing and addressing legal issues in policing and public safety. It provides students an opportunity to develop their research, writing, management and presentation skills through practical real world research. Students will focus on policing issues in their local community, while also contributing to the national conversation on policing.
The Fellowship Director will select up to 20 students to take part in the fellowship. From May 2026 through April 2027, Fellows will research a topic related to policing (to be determined in coordination with the Director). Fellows will also be encouraged to build connections with police and interest groups in their community. The 2026-2027 cohort of fellows will have a choice of which fellowship project they will complete – (1) a research paper, (2) a community-based project, or (3) developing an educational online module.
Law of the Police Conference
In June 2026, fellows will have the opportunity to attend the Law of the Police Conference. At the conference, fellows from the previous cohort will share out their completed projects. This will be a unique opportunity to network with academics in the field and to attend panels to learn more about research and scholarship in the policing realm. In June 2027, fellows will have the opportunity to present their completed projects.
Fellowship Commitment
Fellows will be expected to devote an average of five hours/week to fellowship work, including research, meetings, and fellowship events. The entire cohort of fellows will meet once a month for an hour on the last Sunday of each month. Additionally, fellows will meet in small groups once a month for an hour to collaborate and provide feedback on their work. Attendance at each of these meetings is mandatory. The 2026-2027 fellowship will run from May 2026 through April 2027, with fellows expected to continue their work through the summer and school year. Fellows will have the option to extend their fellowship for two more months to cover preparation for their presentations at the Law of the Police Conference.
Applicants are not expected to have any prior experience; the only requirement is the successful completion of their 1L year.
Before submitting your application, be sure to review the Learning Outcomes for ABA LEPPC Student Fellowship and How to Join the Fellowship documents to ensure that you meet all of the requirements.
Application materials should include:
- a completed application form: Application for ABA LEPPC Student Fellowship
- a cover letter that explains the candidate’s interest in the fellowship and considering the following:
- Why do you want to participate in the ABA’s Legal Education Police Practices Consortium?
- If selected, what topics related to policing might you be interested in researching?
- What impact do you hope to have through your work with the Consortium?
- How will you help to advance the mission of the Consortium?
- What, if any, is your past experience with community engagement or policing practices?
- a resume; and
- a letter of support from the faculty member who will provide supervision on the local level and who will ensure that any academic requirements for your institution are met.
Please note that no prior knowledge of policing issues is required. The Fellowship is an opportunity to engage current law students in the critical policing conversations around the United States.
Applications are due on or before March 16, 2026 and should be sent via e-mail with attachments in PDF or Word format to abaleppc@gmail.com.
Include in your email:
- Your name and, optionally, preferred pronouns
- Student email address
- Name of Consortium Member School you attend
- Current anticipated graduation date
Questions may be directed to
- Consortium at abaleppc@gmail.com
- Molly Moening, Post-Graduate Fellow at molly.moening@wayne.edu
- Rebecca Robichaud, Director at rebecca.robichaud@wayne.edu
To learn more about the Consortium, please view our ABA LEPPC Review.
If you are not sure if your school is a member of the Consortium please contact Molly Moening, Post-Graduate Fellow at molly.moening@wayne.edu.