Summer: FAQ

  • How much funding can I get for my summer internship at a non-profit or government agency?

  • The John Paul Stevens Public Interest Fellowships: $6000 for the six eligible applications with the highest scores.

    The Summer Public Service Law Fellowships: Up to $4000 (1L) and $4,500 (2L) for eligible applications. Number of grants is dependent on funding.

    The King Hall Legal Foundation (KHLF) Fellowships: amount dependent on funding

  • Am I eligible to apply for the Summer Public Service Fellowship?

  • Yes, if prior to the application deadline you:

    • Have secured a full time summer placement at a public interest organization or government agency; AND
    • Have performed (1) at least 10 hours of public service/volunteer work during this academic year ; OR (2) at least 5 hours of volunteer work on behalf of KHLF.
  • Am I eligible to apply for the John Paul Stevens Fellowship?

  • Yes, if prior to the application deadline you:

    • Meet the eligibility requirements for the Summer Public Service Fellowship; AND
    • You do not receive financial compensation of any kind from the host organization.
  • Am I eligible to apply for the KHLF Fellowship?

  • Yes, if prior to the application deadline you:

    • Have secured a summer placement at a public interest organization or government agency (prosecutorial work is not eligible); AND
    • Join KHLF as a member; AND
    • are a 1L or 2L student at King Hall; AND
    • Volunteer 10 hours of solicitation work for the KHLF auction; AND
    • Volunteer 5 hours at the KHLF auction itself.
  • How do I apply?

  • 1L and 2Ls can apply for all three fellowship opportunities through a single application.  

  • Are applications reviewed on a rolling basis?
  • No. It does not mater when you submit your materials during the application period as long as you meet the deadline. All applications are reviewed once the application period ends. Applications submitted after the application period has ended will not be considered. The committee does it’s best to make a decision on Fellowship awards within 1-3 weeks after the close of the application deadline.  
  • Where can I work to be eligible for a summer public service fellowship?
  • In order to apply for a fellowship, you must find a job with a qualifying organization. Applicants may work for any public interest 501(c)(3) organization or public defender’s office, some governmental agencies and departments or public interest centered private organizations. The work done at the governmental agency or private organization must be similar to the work that would be done by a qualifying nonprofit organization. If you are applying for a KHLF grant to work for a governmental or private organization, you should demonstrate that the organization provides critical legal services that are not currently served by private nonprofit organizations. KHLF will not award a summer grant for a position at a District Attorney’s Office.  Judicial clerkships are ineligible for funding.
  • I have a judicial externship this summer, am I eligible?
  • No. Judicial externships are not eligible for these summer fellowships.  Court-based legal assistance, such as Family Law Facilitators’ Offices and Self-Help Centers do qualify.
  • I will be working in a prosecutor’s office this summer, am I eligible?
  • Yes and No.  Yes, you are eligible for Summer Public Service and John Paul Stevens Fellowships.  No, you are not eligible for KHLF Fellowships.
  • I plan to work in public interest this summer, but I haven’t secured a job by the deadline, can I still apply?
  • No. You must have an eligible position secured before the deadline and a confirmation from your host organization must be included in your application materials.
  • My summer employer is paying me a stipend, am I still eligible to apply?
  • Yes, you are still eligible to receive the Summer Public Service and KHLF fellowships. Should you be selected, your stipend will affect the calculation for your award amount. However, because you will be paid by your employer, you are not eligible to receive the John Paul Stevens Fellowship.
  • What counts toward the public service/volunteer requirement?
  • Any public service work you have done without compensation from any source and for which you are not receiving credit. Work done on behalf of KHLF counts double and you only need to complete 5 hours to fulfill the requirement. If you do not complete 5 hours for KHLF, you are responsible for completing 10 hours of other volunteer work. The 10 hours can include up to 2 hours of training, but cannot not include travel time.
  • Is there a list of places to get my public service/volunteer hours?
  • We do not keep a list of places other students have gone to satisfy their public service/volunteer hours. We recommend reaching out a local non profit or legal aid (such as Legal Services of Northern California) to volunteer. Some organizations and student groups host one day clinics (expungement, naturalization, etc.). If you are externing for a government agency or non profit for credit, you can earn hours by volunteering more time than required for your units. Any public service volunteer activity can count toward your requirement. 
  • Does my work with the Workers' Rights Clinic or the Gender and Name Change Clinic count as public service/volunteer work?
  • If you are a 1L who is volunteering with a clinic, that will satisfy the public service/volunteer requirement because you are not being compensated nor are you receiving credit.
  • How do I submit my public service/volunteer hours? Do I need to submit verification?
  • For the summer funding application, you are not required to submit verification of your public service/volunteer hours. The application cover sheet asks you to certify that you have completed the necessary hours. If there is a question to the validity of your certification you may be asked to verify the hours and false affirmations may be subject to student discipline.
  • Can I get help with my Statement of Purpose?
  • Yes. We encourage you to send a draft of your statement to careerservices@law.ucdavis.edu so a counselor can review your statement prior to submission. Please send your draft as early as possible to ensure review, as we may not have time to review statements sent close to the deadline.
  • Who selects the fellowship recipients?

  • King Hall faculty and/or staff members review and score the applications for Summer Public Service and John Paul Stevens Fellowships.  The six highest cumulative scorers will receive Stevens Fellowships.  Summer Public Service Fellowships will be awarded to the next highest scorers, in turn, until fellowship funds are exhausted.

    KHLF is an independent, student-directed non-profit organization.  Each applicant for KHLF Fellowships is evaluated anonymously by a selection committee.  KHLF awards grants to those applicants receiving the highest overall scores tallied from each of the members of the selection committee.

  • When will I find out if I have been awarded a fellowship?

  • All applications are reviewed once the application period ends - they are not reviewed on a rolling basis. The committee does it’s best to make a decision on Fellowship awards quickly. We hope to announce awards within 1-3 weeks after the close of the application deadline.  You will receive an email to inform you of the decision.  If you have been awarded the fellowship, the email will ask you to reply and indicate your award amount and verify whether or not you have received other funding for your fellowship work. Please reply promptly so as not to delay the calculation and distribution of your award.

    KHLF tries to coordinate timing with Summer Public Service and Stevens Fellowship award decisions.  A separate email from KHLF will inform you of its decision.

  • How will the John Paul Stevens Fellowship award amount be determined?

  • The amount of each fellowship will be $6,000. No subtraction will be made for money received from other sources to support the same summer work, but note that to be eligible for the Stevens Fellowship your summer position must be unpaid, meaning that you cannot receive financial compensation of any kind from the host organization.

    Example 1:

    Alberta Johnson receives a Stevens Fellowship. They also get a $1,000 summer fellowship from one of the law student associations they belong to. Alberta’s Stevens Fellowship will be $6,000 and their total summer income will be $7,000.

    Example 2:

    Audie Norris receives a Stevens Fellowship. His host organization will pay Audie a summer stipend of $6,000. Audie must decline the Stevens Fellowship because he is not eligible for it.

  • How will the UC Presidential Summer Public Service Fellowship award amount be determined?

  • The award starts at $4,000 for first year students and $4,500 for second year students. Every dollar of other summer funding you receive for the fellowship work (such as, for example, stipends, work study pay, hourly wage, and outside fellowships) will be subtracted from your award at the rate of 50 cents to every dollar. Money earned through other summer work (such as being a Research Assistant, house-sitting, driving for a ride share, etc.) does not count against your fellowship award; just remember that you must work full time performing the work for which you are receiving the fellowship. Scholarships that cover tuition, books and fees, even if received during the summer, do not count against your fellowship award. 

    Example 1:

    Max, a 1L, is selected for a UC Presidential Summer Public Service Fellowship award. Max's summer employer will pay $2,500 in work-study wages for the summer and Max receives a $500 grant from a local bar association to support Max's summer work. Max will also get paid $2,000 to work as a Research Assistant to a Professor at nights and on weekends. Max’s Summer Public Service Fellowship award will be:

    $4,000 – ($2,500+$500)/2) = $2,500

    Only half of the bar association grant and work study wages are deducted from the award. The RA salary is not deducted from the award. Max’s total summer earnings from all sources will be $7,500.

    Example 2:

    Arlene, a 2L, is selected for a UC Presidential Summer Public Service Fellowship. Her host organization offers her a summer stipend of $6,000 for her work. Arlene’s Summer Public Service Fellowship award will be:

    $4,500 – ($6,000/2) = $1,500

    Arlene’s total summer earnings will be $7,500.

    Example 3:

    Manuel, a 2L, is selected for a UC Presidential Summer Public Service Fellowship. His host organization pays $18/hour. If Manuel works 350 hours over the summer his Summer Public Service Fellowship award will be:

    $4,500 – ($6,300/2) = $1,350

    Manuel's total summer earnings will be $7,650.

    Example 4:

    Maurice Harkless, a 1L, is selected for a Summer Public Service Fellowship. They get an Equal Justice Works Segal Education award of $1,500 that goes directly towards tuition through their financial aid account. Though related to Maurice's summer work, because the Segal Award is designated for tuition or books (like a scholarship), it does not count against Maurice’s Summer Public Service Fellowship award. Maurice’s Summer Public Service Fellowship award will be:

    $4,000 – (0/2) = $4,000

    Maurice’s total summer earnings will be $5,500 (though note that Maurice will only have $4,000 to spend as they please; the $1,500 from the Segal Award will be credited directly to their financial aid account).

    Example 5:

    Jesse, a 1L, is selected for a UC Presidential Summer Public Service Fellowship. Jesse receives $8,000 from another fellowship program for Jesse's work over the summer. Jesse’s Summer Public Service Fellowship award will be:

    $4,000 – ($8,000/2) = $0

    Jesse's total summer earnings will be $8,000.

  • How will the King Hall Legal Foundation Fellowship award amount be determined?
  • The amount of each award will be determined based on the availability of funding. KHLF grant recipients must disclose to KHLF the sources and amounts of all other summer funding, including the amount received in any form from their organization. This includes, but is not limited to, stipends, transportation, and other expenses. Also any amount received from all outside sources, including, but not limited to, grants and scholarships. Grant recipients may not receive more than a total of $10,000 of total funding for the summer (including the KHLF summer Grant). Any amount above this cap will be refunded to KHLF accordingly.  KHLF may fund part-time public interest legal work on a pro-rated basis.
  • I’m also working as a research assistant this summer; will my pay reduce my fellowship award amount?
  • No, only money you receive for the fellowship work (such as, for example stipends, work study pay, hourly wage, other fellowships) will be subtracted from your award at the rate of 50 cents to every dollar. Money earned through other summer work (such as being a Research Assistant, house-sitting, driving for a ride share, etc.) does not count against your fellowship award; just remember that you must complete a full time internship performing the work for which you are receiving the fellowship.
  • What is the Statement of Need/Use of Funds paragraph used for?
  • You are required to write a short paragraph (no more than 300 words), separate from the statement of purpose, regarding your financial need and/or what you will be using the fellowship money for.  Financial need is a small part of the selection committee's determination of whom to award funds. Please very briefly describe your need for the fellowship and what you will do with the funds (for example: pay rent, transportation to internship, support my family).
  • After my fellowship award was calculated I received money from another source for my work, what do I do?
  • You must inform the law school at any point in which you received additional money for your fellowship work.  Your award will be recalculated and you will be responsible to refund the overpaid fellowship amount back to the school.  You can send an email to Sofia Parino at slparino@ucdavis.edu.