Equal Justice Works details Design Your Own fellowship eligibility, application steps and timeline for the 2027 class

Al Roberts, senior manager of recruitment and enrollment at Equal Justice Works, and Lauren Hartley, the organization
ssociate director of network engagement, detailed the Design Your Own (DYO) fellowship application process and selection timeline in a national webinar for prospective applicants.

The webinar offered guidance on who is eligible to apply, what makes a DYO project distinct, what host organizations and sponsors must provide, and how EJW will match applicants with sponsors. Roberts said Equal Justice Works has enabled “more than 2,800 fellowships” and that “85% of those fellows remain in public service after their fellowship ends,” citing that long-term placement as a key program outcome.

Why it matters: The DYO fellowship funds two-year, project-based positions designed to launch public-interest legal careers. Successful applicants gain a paid staff role at a host nonprofit while receiving programmatic support, networking and training; sponsors (law firms, corporate legal departments, foundations or individuals) fund salaries and often offer ongoing pro bono support.

Key eligibility and project requirements
- Degree and timing: Hartley said candidates must graduate from a member law school by September 2027 (JD or LLM) and be able to perform the work of an attorney at the fellowship start. Applicants must have work authorization; EJW noted the expectation that candidates will be licensed to practice when the fellowship begins.
- Backgrounds: Candidates coming from clerkships, short-term or bridge fellowships, or part-time roles are eligible; applicants who already hold permanent, full-time public-interest attorney jobs are generally ineligible.
- Project distinctiveness: Projects must serve an underserved population or address an unmet legal need, be innovative (not merely a staff-attorney position already performed by the host), be ambitious yet feasible within two years and leave sustainable resources or capacity behind. As Hartley put it, a proposal should be “different than, like, a staff attorney position that
lready happening at the organization.”
- Host requirements: Hosts must be established nonprofit organizations (501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4)) with legal staff able to supervise new attorneys; EJW recommends at least two attorneys on staff to provide adequate supervision, benefits and onboarding.
- Sponsors: Sponsors are the primary audience for applications and include law firms, corporate legal departments, foundations and individuals. Sponsors fund fellows
nd often engage through pro bono work or other supports; EJW will publish sponsor preferences but said those lists are not exhaustive.

Application components and timeline
Hartley reviewed application components — statement of need, project description, goals, work plan and timeline, potential sponsor and pro-bono opportunities, host information and two letters of recommendation — and urged applicants to assemble a review team (host supervisors, career services, alumni) and proofread carefully before submission. She said applications opened in May and presenters indicated a September deadline; the transcript includes both Sept. 17 and Sept. 27 in different places, and applicants should confirm the current deadline on Equal Justice Works
pplication pages. Hartley described the selection process as follows: alumni reviewers provide qualitative feedback in October, EJW compiles a slate in November for sponsors, sponsors interview finalists, selections typically close the following spring (by May), and fellows begin in September 2027.

Q&A highlights and operational clarifications
- Bar passage: Hartley said consequences for failing the bar are decided between the fellow and the host employer; EJW encourages retaking the exam and may help with transfers in some cases, but outcomes are case-by-case.
- Law school clinics: Both presenters clarified that a law school clinic can act as a host if the clinic itself is organized as a 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4) and is willing to sign employer certification forms.
- Start date: Presenters stated DYO fellows generally start in September and noted cohort programs sometimes allow earlier starts; host organizations may on a case-by-case basis discuss alternative timing.

Practical tips from presenters
Hartley recommended applicants start early, identify and vet host organizations (alumni, internships, career services, psjd.org), draft application text outside the portal, plan for recommendation letters and build a clear menu of sponsor engagement opportunities. She also advised considering funding diversity and legal/political risk for the project
rea when designing work intended to last beyond two years.

Contact and next steps
Presenters directed attendees to Equal Justice Works
pplication resources and the Submittable portal, and provided the fellowships inbox for follow-up questions: fellowships@equaljusticeworks.org. Prospective applicants should confirm the deadline on EJW
pplication pages before final submission.

Ending note: Roberts closed by thanking attendees and wishing applicants luck in the process.