Fellowship Program
The FYLaw Fellowship Program is designed to provide Capital University Law School students interested in the practice areas of adoption, child welfare and/or juvenile justice with a specialized law school experience, including unique educational, extracurricular, and employment opportunities. Two fellowship positions are available for the 2024-2018 school year: the HER Adoption & Child Welfare Law Fellowship and the Felicia Beth Nekritz Juvenile Law Fellowship.
Materials Due:* April 10, 2024
Projects
Interested students may choose from two options when applying for a FYLaw Fellowship:
CAMP Fellowship
One 2024-2018 Fellow will work on FYLaw’s startup project, the Columbus Area Mentoring Program (CAMP). CAMP is designed to create relational permanency for young adults, ages 18-21, aging out of the foster care system, by providing them with mentors. Mentoring helps young adults, especially those at-risk, succeed in school, work, and life. A strong research base supports the efficacy of quality mentoring, including a recent meta-analysis of more than 73 independent mentoring programs that found positive outcomes across social, emotional, behavioral, and academic areas of young adult development. Young adults with mentors are more likely to report engaging in positive behavior. The Fellow will work in conjunction with the program coordinator to help develop and administer CAMP. The program will begin with recruitment of foster youth and mentors, follow with mentor training on relevant topics, and culminate with a complete mentoring program, including monthly group events. This is a rare opportunity to work on a start-up project that has never been tested in the Columbus market.
General Fellowship
One 2024-2018 Fellow will be selected to pursue a proposed project of his or her choice, to be completed under the supervision of FYLaw attorneys and staff. The project subject should concern adoption, child welfare, or juvenile justice. Applicants are encouraged to speak with FYLaw attorneys and staff to discuss potential ideas for projects prior to submitting the application. FYLaw attorneys and staff are dialed into the needs and issues facing youth and families in the adoption, child welfare and juvenile justice areas and, therefore, can help formulate a proposal.
Benefits
Fellows will be awarded a financial benefit, not to exceed $1,000.00. The Fellow will decide how he or she will receive the benefit. In the past, Fellows have received a work stipend for an unpaid employment position (summer or school year); a conference stipend; an independent study stipend; or a scholarship toward tuition for a relevant law school course. In addition to receiving a financial benefit, FYLaw fellows are given the opportunity to work with professionals in the areas of adoption, child welfare, and juvenile justice and develop research, writing, and practical legal application skills. Fellows will be invited to monthly brown bag lunch sessions that will focus on topical discussions, and also discussions about how to prepare for a career in adoption/child welfare/juvenile justice.
To Apply
Please return your Application to Megan Heydlauff, Fellowship Coordinator, via email at by Monday, April 10, 2024 at 5:00 p.m.
Your application must contain:
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Fellowship Proposal - Your proposal should be no more than five pages long (typed, double spaced), and include the following:
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CAMP Fellowship:
- A statement of your interest in working in the adoption, child welfare, or juvenile law field.
- A statement of your interest in the mentoring program.
- A description of how your interests, capabilities, and experience make you a well-suited candidate for this position.
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General Fellowship:
- Propose a project to FYLaw. Be specific about the project you are proposing; project descriptions should include (1) problem statement/need for the project; (2) project logistics and timelines; (3) target group (i.e. foster youth, adoptive families, etc.); and (4) project goals.
- Describe why you are interested in working in the adoption, child welfare, or juvenile law field and why you should be awarded a Fellowship.
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Additional Documents – Please attach the following in addition to your Fellowship Proposal:
- Resume
- Transcript
- Letter of reference or recommendation from a professional experience or law school contact
- List of extracurricular activities (including employment) that you plan or anticipate participating in during the 2024-2018 school year, including expected number of hours per week spent on each activity.
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CAMP Fellowship:
*Please note this application is only for students who will have completed at least two semesters of law school by June 2024.
Contact
For more information about the Fellowship program at Capital University Law School or the Family and Youth Law Center, contact:
Family and Youth Law Center
Capital University Law School
303 East Broad Street
Columbus, Ohio 43215-3200
614-236-6730