Summer Law Fellowships
The Klau Institute for Civil and Human Rights sponsors summer fellowships for Notre Dame law students working in public interest organizations that promote civil or human rights. Fellows receive funding to assist with travel and living expenses, and upon return to campus, share their experiences with the wider community.
Click here to see a list of Summer Law Fellows from previous years.
Funding
A Klau Institute Summer Fellowship varies, but has typically totaled up to $2,500. Klau funding is separate from and in addition to federal work study or other grant and fellowship programs. Cost of living and funding received from other sources are relevant in determining the amount of the award.
Eligibility
Notre Dame law students who acquire a summer internship consistent with the above description are eligible for a Klau Institute Summer Fellowship. Both domestic and international internships are eligible for consideration.
Requirements
- Current resume
- Academic transcript
- Cover letter describing the proposed internship and how it relates to the Institute's mission
- Each successful awardee will need to secure a written internship offer from the placement organization.
- Each summer fellow is required to organize a public presentation on the topic of her or his work during the next academic year.
Apply for Funding
The application for summer 2026 has closed.
Previous Summer Law Fellows
2026 Summer Fellows
- Zoë Bonnichsen- Notre Dame Law School’s Exoneration Justice Clinic
- Anna Daunt- Federal Defender Program in Atlanta
- Maggie Feighery- Notre Dame Law School’s Exoneration Justice Clinic
- Chloe Garner- Ohio Justice and Policy Center
- Jazmin Mikhael-Federal Public Defender’s Office, Central District of California
- Aaron Qiao- Notre Dame Law School’s Exoneration Justice Clinic
- Joseph Reilly- Legal Aid of Western Michigan
- Clare Van Dyke- ACLU Foundation of Connecticut
- Madeline Ward- Wyoming Outdoor Council
2025 Summer Fellows
- Elisa Monteiro- Special Education Division of the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia
- Peris Munene- NAACP Legal Defense Fund in Atlanta
- Brigid O'Brien- Disability Rights New York
- Haley Palumbo- Cabrini Green Legal Aid
- Sam Spain- ACLU of Illinois
- Tyson Weeks- ACLU of DC
2024 Summer Fellows
- Margot Calmar- Sanford Heisler Sharp
- Varun Cidambi- Notre Dame's Fitzgerald Institute for Real Estate
- Cecilia Honan- Legal Aid Bureau of Buffalo, Attorneys for Children Unit
- Adam Miller- ACLU of Alaska
- Nikki Rafferty- New Hampshire Legal Assistance
- Tyson Weeks- Fairfax County Public Defender's Office
2023 Summer Fellows
- Maria Hatzisavas- Beyond Legal Aid
- Alexandra Lesnik-Root and Rebound
- Adam Miller-Innocence Project New Orleans
- Allison Morcus- Legal Aid Chicago
- Ayanna Murphy- Ascend Justice
- Darryl Naquin- NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund
2022 Summer Fellows
- Sarah Barritt- Bet Tzedek's Summer for Justice Program
- Claire Crites- International Bridges to Justice
- Alexandra Lesnik- Promise of Justice Initiative
- Allison Morcus- Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund
- Riley Realing- Pennsylvania Innocence Project
2021 Summer Fellows
- Jessa Webber- Wayne County Prosecutor’s Conviction Integrity Unit
- Davis Lovvorn- Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund
- Jenae Longenecker- Chicago Allience Against Sexual Exploitation
- Madison Kemker- ACLU of Indiana
2020 Summer Fellows
- Madeline Callaghan- Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law
- Katherine Cienkus- Access Living
- Thomas Kozdron- Public Rights Project
2019 Summer Fellows
- Sarah Karchunas- Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
- Chen Kuang- Civil Practice of the Legal Aid Society of New York City
2018 Summer Fellows
- Tom Dwyer- Sargent Shriver Poverty Law Center
- Bill Green- Illinois' Office of the State Appellate Defender
- Jessica Slocik- Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section at U.S. Department of Justice
2017 Summer Fellows
Arianna Cook-Thajudeen- National Housing Law Project