The Independence Foundation Public Interest Law Fellowship Program – Deadline is September 25, 2013
The Independence Foundation is a private, not-for-profit philanthropic organization located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, serving Philadelphia and its surrounding counties. The Foundation is specifically interested in addressing the need for legal aid and assistance to the disadvantaged. In order to help to meet this need, in 1996 the Foundation established the Independence Foundation Public Interest Law Fellowship Program. Independence Foundation Public Interest Law Fellowships provide support for law school graduates, outgoing judicial law clerks and attorneys who are currently employed and who want to work in the public interest for a legal services organization that qualifies as a 501(c)(3) organization and provides legal services to individuals who are disadvantaged, including the elderly, the disabled, the homeless or those deprived of their civil or human rights.
Application must be made within five years of law school graduation. The Foundation anticipates granting a maximum of three Fellowships in 2013, the nineteenth year of the program, with the expectation that the 2014 class of Fellows will begin to render service in the public interest by the end of September 2014.
Each Fellowship will provide the Fellow an annual salary in the amount of $46,000, plus the cost of health care benefits, disability insurance and employer’s withholding taxes as compensation for full time employment. These amounts will be paid on a quarterly basis directly to the sponsoring organization. The Foundation will not pay the cost of pension benefits or any fringe benefits, such as employment related travel expenses. In addition, each Fellowship will provide for those Fellows who owe student loans an amount equal to the amount due and payable on such loans during the term of the Fellowship up to a maximum amount of $10,000 in each Fellowship year. This amount will be paid on a quarterly basis directly to the employing organization. The Fellow shall be an employee of the organization and not the Foundation. To the extent that amounts paid under the Fellowship Program are deemed taxable, the Fellow shall be responsible for such tax obligations.
The duration of a Fellowship is one year. Fellowships may be renewed for one additional year if requested by the Fellow and approved by the Foundation Board of Directors and the sponsoring organization.
Grants will be made to sponsoring organizations only. Therefore, before final application, due September 25, 2013, a legal services organization that will sponsor the applicant must be identified. It is the responsibility of the applicant to secure a position with a potential sponsoring organization before submitting an application for a Fellowship.
If awarded a Fellowship, applicants will be expected to devote their full time to Fellowship work for the duration of the Independence Foundation Fellowship.
Applications must be received by September 25, 2013. Fellows will be notified in mid-December 2013.
For additional information and details, including how to apply, please ask your CDO advisor, visit the website or visit the click here.