Public Service & Leadership Fellowships

Pacific McGeorge School of Law, with generous financial support from the Sacramento law firm of Downey Brand LLP, is pleased to offer Downey Brand Public Service & Leadership Fellowships. PSL Fellowships support the ability of highly qualified applicants to obtain a Master's Degree (LL.M.) in Government Law and Policy while providing leadership and support for the University of Pacific's Education Pipeline Initiative, the regional component of a nationwide project designed to introduce law-themed learning and enrichment into the K-12 curriculum of educationally disadvantaged students as a means to encourage and enable them to succeed. PSL Fellows provide valued community service while obtaining valuable leadership experience working with law school faculty, educators, public servants and researchers interested in improving our government and educational systems.


STIPEND AND TUITION WAIVER
PSL Fellows receive a $20,000 stipend, as well as a full tuition waiver for the LL.M in Government Law & Policy, representing 24 credit hours of study extending over not more than two years. Students must apply and be admitted to the LL.M. program, and will then be considered for the fellowship.


FELLOWSHIP RESPONSIBILITIES
The Fellowship contemplates 20-25 hours of work per week on Education Pipeline Initiative activities. Duties of the PSL Fellows may include the following:

  • Coordination of the University's work with Sacramento-area K-12 schools (elementary, middle, high) and other Sacramento partners;
  • Development and coordination of programs to involve Pacific students and alumni as tutors and mentors for students at Sacramento-area K-12 schools as well as coordination of Sacramento attorneys in K-12 classroom activities;
  • Organization of speaker series at K-12 schools;
  • Coordination of Youth Court, Mock Trial and Moot Court programs at K-12 schools;
  • Curriculum development and coordination of evaluation at K-12 schools;
  • Administrative assistance to professors working on the Education Pipeline Initiative and to the Dean of the law school, including scheduling, legal research and other support activities;
  • Fundraising, including grant identification and proposal preparation.


Downey Brand Public Service & Leadership Fellows may choose, in addition to fulfilling curricular requirements for the Government Law & Policy LL. M. degree and Education Pipeline Initiative activities, to work with a Pacific McGeorge professor to produce publishable scholarship in an area of interest related to public service and leadership.


ELIGIBILITY
Fellowship applicants must have obtained a J.D. degree from an ABA-accredited law school, must possess high academic qualifications and must be able to demonstrate a commitment to public service and leadership, through academic achievement or relevant work experience.


APPLICATION MATERIALS AND SELECTION PROCESS
Application packages should contain all of the following materials:


Application packages should be sent to the following address:

Capital Center for Government Law & Policy
University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law
Re: PSL Fellowship Application
3200 Fifth Avenue
Sacramento, CA 95817


A selection committee will review each application and interview selected finalists. PSL Fellows will be notified of their selection by mid-June at the latest.


Questions? Contact Professor Craig Manson at 916-739-7394 regarding the LL.M. in Government Law & Policy, and Beth Bulgeron, Education Pipeline Project Director at 916-739-7270 for more information about the Education Pipeline Initiative.


*Downey Brand LLP, founded in 1926, is Sacramento's largest law firm with offices in each of the major commercial hubs in California's Central Valley, as well as in Reno, Nevada. Downey Brand LLP, whose commitment to public service and leadership extends throughout the educational pipeline, has generously provided funding for this program.