Environmental Justice Fellowship

The Environmental Justice Fellowship is a two-year postgraduate fellowship awarded to an outstanding graduating student or judicial clerk working with an existing environmental legal organization. Preference will be given to fellowship applicants proposing to work in Texas with organizations that have recently partnered with Texas Law’s Environmental Clinic, including, but not limited to, a Texas legal aid organization, Earthjustice, Sierra Club, Save Our Springs Alliance, and Bayou City Waterkeeper. The fellowship is generously supported by Todd Vogel and Karen Hust.  

Application Information

Applications are due by noon on Friday, January 31, 2025. The selection committee will interview finalists in February.

Spring 2025 Application Information 

In spring 2025, the Environmental Justice Fellowship will fund a two-year (24-month, full-time) postgraduate fellowship with an existing environmental legal organization. The fellow will receive $75,000 per year. The sponsoring organization must be a non-profit organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The sponsoring organization is expected to supply and fund the benefits that a fellow would ordinarily receive as a new employee. If the regular salary of a comparable position at the sponsoring organization exceeds $75,000, the sponsoring organization is encouraged to commit to paying the difference. The fellow must be supervised by a licensed attorney. The fellow and sponsoring organization will sign agreements regarding their fellowship obligations. 

Before applying, applicants will identify a potential sponsoring organization and collaborate with the organization to develop a description of the proposed work, training, and supervision. The proposed work should include identified projects or cases, either new initiatives or ongoing environmental justice projects of the sponsoring organization. Organizations must agree to provide support for the project and appropriate training and supervision for the fellow. Students with questions about potential sponsoring organizations or projects are welcome to contact Professor Kelly Haragan, director of the Environmental Clinic, and Mary Murphy, public interest career counselor in the Career Services Office. 

The fellowship is available only to Texas Law alumni. Only third-year students or recent graduates who will complete a judicial clerkship by the fall of 2025 may apply. A faculty committee will select the fellow based on the applicant’s proposed work, commitment to environmental public service, and demonstrated ability of the applicant and the sponsoring organization to achieve the project’s goals. 

Preferences: 

Preference will be given to proposed projects with the potential to make a significant impact.