About the Fellowship
The DC Volunteer Lawyers Project seeks public interest law fellows to learn to be a voice in court for domestic violence victims and at-risk children. After a training period featuring a live mock trial, fellows will provide direct representation to DCVLP clients in DC Superior Court, under the supervision of our experienced supervising attorneys; and will also advise clients at our weekly Domestic Violence Resource Clinic. The fellowships are:
- For recent law school graduates;
- Full-time;
- 6-month to 1-year positions;
- Funded by law schools or other private sources (DCVLP does not provide a salary); and
- Available each fall in September (exceptions may be made for 6-month positions).
Litigation Experience
Our DCVLP law fellows receive extensive litigation training before representing a client. Under a DC court rule, DCVLP fellows may represent clients as soon as they take a bar exam, and may start litigating civil protection order cases soon after completing our training program. Fellows typically litigate between 25-35 protection order cases during their tenure. Fellows will also represent domestic violence survivors in family law cases, which may involve discovery, motions and trial preparation. In addition, Fellows will advocate for the best interests of children — living with abuse, neglect, drug abuse and worse — as court-appointed Guardians ad litem.
A fellowship with DCVLP is an excellent opportunity to learn trial skills while helping low-income victims and children achieve safety and stability in their lives.
