Equal Justice Works offers interview and application tips for DYO candidates and hosts

Equal Justice Works provided practical guidance for applicants and host collaborators preparing for the DYO fellowship review cycle. Lauren Hartley recommended mock interviews and suggested candidates prepare a concise, compelling opening statement of roughly three minutes, use the STAR method to provide concrete examples, and practice responding to multi‑part or unexpected questions in sponsor interviews.

“Sometimes I see candidates go on for, like, way too long…we recommend it be more like 3 minutes as their initial overview,” Hartley said, as she emphasized clarity and responsiveness. She also advised candidates to refresh application materials before interviews because there can be several months between submission and interviews.

Logistics and required materials: Al Roberts said the candidate must start and submit the application via Submittable and can invite host collaborators to edit parts of the record. Roberts also reminded applicants that two letters of recommendation are required fields for submission and encouraged early outreach to potential recommenders so those items are ready by the Sept. 17, 2026 deadline.