Fostering the future of legal aid
The field of public interest law relies on skilled and passionate attorneys to provide critical help for our neighbors when they need it most. At the ACBF, we are committed to promoting this work to the legal professionals of tomorrow through funded fellowship opportunities.
A 2019 study by the State Bar of California found that “experience interning at a public interest organization is the strongest predictor of a student maintaining their plans to pursue a public interest career after graduation.” With educational expenses and debt creating a large financial burden for graduating students, many students are turned off from pursuing a career in legal aid due to lack of funding available for internships in this field. This barrier to entry has resulted in a shortage of legal aid attorneys during times of the most urgent need in our community.
The ACBF offers funded fellowships every summer made possible by members of the Allegheny County legal community to support students who are interested in pursuing careers in legal aid. We aim to promote the path of public interest as a viable career opportunity and level the playing field by offering resources and professional development to students from the very beginning.
Law students who hope to practice public interest law are more than twice as likely to remain interested in legal aid when offered direct experience in the field.
John P. Gismondi Law Student Summer Fellowship
Created by Pitt Law alumnus John P. Gismondi, the Gismondi Certified Student Summer Fellowship will sponsor four Summer Fellowship positions to students who have completed their second year of law school at the University of Pittsburgh and are certified to represent clients in accordance with the court rules of Allegheny County. The Gismondi Fellows will have the opportunity to earn real-world experience handling legal matters – including client contact – at public service organizations. In the past, Fellows have worked at Neighborhood Legal Services, KidsVoice and the offices of the county District Attorney and Public Defender.
For ten weeks over the summer, Gismondi Fellows work at Neighborhood Legal Services and other public interest organizations representing clients in a variety of legal proceedings.
Applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Completed second year of law school at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.
- Eligible to be certified to appear in court pursuant to Pa. Bar Admission Rule 321.
Lawyers’ Fund Summer Fellowship
The Lawyers’ Fund Summer Fellowship program was created by the Lawyers’ Fund Committee of the Allegheny County Bar Foundation to provide law students with paid fellowships at organizations providing free legal services to low-income Allegheny County residents. For ten weeks over the summer, Lawyers’ Fund Fellows gain hands-on experience in a variety of legal areas while working in a public interest law setting.
Lawyers’ Fund Fellows will work at legal service organizations where they will assist clients with low incomes who are facing critical legal issues affecting their daily lives, including landlord/tenant, domestic violence, immigration, and more.
Applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Completed second year of a PA law school or is a child of a member of the ACBA who is returning to Pittsburgh for the summer.
- Eligible to be certified to appear in court pursuant to Pa. Bar Admission Rule 321.
In addition to invaluable work experience, Lawyers’ Fund Fellows are provided with the following:
- Lunch ‘n Learn presentations
- Networking and mentorship opportunities
- Professional development
John A. Meehan Citizenship Institute Summer Fellowship
Meehan Citizenship Institute Fellows will work alongside attorneys at the Jewish Family & Community Services Immigration Legal Services team to assist individuals in need of advice relating to legal immigration matters.
Applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Completed second year of a PA law school or is a child of a member of the ACBA who is returning to Pittsburgh for the summer.
- Eligible to be certified to appear in court pursuant to Pa. Bar Admission Rule 321.
In addition to invaluable work experience, Lawyers’ Fund Fellows are provided with the following:
- Lunch ‘n Learn presentations
- Networking and mentorship opportunities
- Professional development
“My experience as a Fellow at the Community Justice Project was fantastic. I got hands-on experience with clients, attended court proceedings in federal court, and honed my research and writing skills related to state and federal issues. I am so grateful for the opportunity to be a Summer Fellow and am so happy with my choice to spend my 2L summer with the program! I am now strongly considering a career in public interest law thanks to my experience.”
– Lindsay Miller, Capital University School of Law, J.D. Candidate, Class of 2022