Each law school participating in the Consortium is invited to put forward student(s) for consideration in the Fall 2023 fellowship. The work of past fellows is outlined below, and will inform the work of the next cohort:
● conduct a police organizational survey to determine local policing contacts and their chain of command and local agencies (to include government and non-governmental agencies, non-profits, civil society organizations, and faith-based institutions) currently working with and/or on policing issues
● obtain training and internal affairs manuals and determine with what regularity these policies and practices are reviewed and updated
● propose outreach and partnership with a local civil rights/legal aid organization OR policing agency/oversight body, in support of their ongoing work and research needs
Each member law school will be responsible for credit and compensation, as appropriate. Assignments will be undertaken under the guidance of a designated member of the law school faculty and the ABA LEPPC Director.
Essential Fellowship Functions and Responsibilities:
– Undertake research & work independently
– Work with the ABA LEPPC Director and faculty supervisor to compile and elevate findings
– Participate in weekly virtual meetings with other Consortium Fellows & the ABA LEPPC Director or willingness to view the recording of meetings later (meetings will be held on alternating Tuesdays from 12:00-1:30 pm ET and Thursdays from 3:30-5:00 pm, starting September 12 and concluding Thursday, December 14.
– Determine opportunities for implementation of existing ABA policing policies into local policing policies/training
– Assist in relevant content creation and dissemination (e.g., webinars, podcasts, magazine articles) to further the goals of the Consortium
Required Education, Qualifications, Experience:
– Associated with a Consortium-member law school for the 2023-2024 academic year as an enrolled student or postgraduate fellow
– Interest in quantitative and qualitative data collection as it relates to policing practices
– Ability to think creatively and collaboratively on pressing issues
– Ability to work independently and remotely
– Willingness to move up/move back to allow for other voices to be heard, promoting an inclusive, respectful, and productive work environment
– Demonstrated ability to work productively and respectfully with stakeholders and others from a diversity of backgrounds and perspectives
– Demonstrated written and interpersonal communication skills
– Fellows will commit approximately (but no more than) 10 hours a week throughout the academic year to the Consortium
– Compensation and/or credit for participation in the Fellowship program will be at the discretion of the individual law school dean
Interested students may apply directly to the Consortium Director by sending a CV and letter of intent by Friday, July 21. The letter of intent should explain your interest in the fellowship and one thing you hope to accomplish through your work this semester/academic year. Emails should be sent to LEPPC@americanbar.org with subject line: Fall 2024 Consortium Fellowship Application (law school name). The proposed faculty advisor on campus must be CC’d.
Alternatively, schools may identify their own fellows. Once selected, students will need to complete an enrollment form with the Consortium’s Director.
Anticipated changes to the fellowship for the Fall semester are outlined below:
We will be meeting at different days and times on alternating weeks in the hopes of promoting more engagement and accommodating more schedules. A working version of the proposed calendar for Fall is included here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oz9UYk6OBuMZ_CaKXPbH7lX4-hEjwdsvvS14l5VkduI/edit?usp=sharing
In recruitment, schools are encouraged to identify students who can commit to involvement for both the fall and spring semesters. The Spring 2024 class will run from January-April.
For students involved in the fellowship for the full year, they will be required to plan and execute a podcast or webinar OR propose a journal/magazine article (for either an ABA or law school publication) on their identified theme. Partnership with fellows from another school pursuing a related subject area is encouraged.
For schools/students unsure on what to research or whether to pursue a partnership, research themes in support of the work at the Excellence in Policing Project at the University of South Carolina Law School have been identified. These are included on page three and four of the attachment. Students who choose to pursue one of these topics will actively support the research and planned activity of the project.
Students who participated in past iterations of the fellowship are welcome to re-apply.
Applications received after July 21 will not be considered for the Fall 2023 class.
For questions about the fellowship program, please contact Consortium Director Jessalyn Brogan Walker (she/her) at Jessalyn.walker@americanbar.org.