Scholarships & Summer Funding
Shapiro Public Service Fellowships - Fall 2022
George Washington University Law School, through the generosity of J. B. & Maurice Shapiro Trust, is providing $90,000 in tuition remission (up to $7500 per student) for law students who work part-time for public interest or public sector employers during the fall semester 2022. Applications are administered by the Public Interest Committee.
The Law School plans to award approximately up to twelve Shapiro Fellowships to students who are in their third year of full-time law school course work in the fall of 2022. These awards are for students providing public interest legal services with government or nonprofit private employers, regardless of location. The Fellows must work 20 hours per week for 12 weeks or the equivalent. Unlike the summer Fellowships, students MAY NOT receive academic credit under the Field Placement Program for work done for these Fellowships. The application deadline for fall 2022 fellowships is Thursday, August 11, 2022 at 5pm.
Summer Funding Overview
The Law School distributes grants to students working in public interest positions over the summer. Separately, the student group Equal Justice Foundation makes grants. GW students may also apply for funding through the KACIF program and other grant/subsidy programs.
The Career Center hosted a Summer Funding Info Session on February 9, 2023. If you were not able to attend, we encourage you to view the recording.
2023 Public Interest Grant Program Application
Equal Justice Foundation (EJF)
This student-run organization raises money and awards stipends to students working in unpaid public interest internships. To be eligible for a stipend, students must volunteer at least 15 hours with EJF. Email [email protected] for more information about volunteer opportunities.
Knowledge in Action Career Internship Fund (KACIF)
This highly competitive program provides grants ranging from $750 to $3,000 to GW undergraduate and graduate students pursuing internships that are necessarily unpaid. Necessarily unpaid internships are typically those with non-profit, governmental, educational and non-governmental organizations that genuinely lack the financial resources to pay salaries or wages to their interns. In order to maximize the number of students who receive funding, grants for internships in the District of Columbia and other U.S. domestic locations typically range from $750 to $1,500, while grants for international internships typically range from $2,000 to $3,000. KACIF also awards travel grants of up to $300 to cover the costs of using public transportation to and from an unpaid internship.
Spring Application Period
- Applications open on November 1 and close on November 15
- Application decisions willl be sent via email the third week of December
Summer Application Period
- Applications open on April 1 and close on April 30
- Application decisions will be sent via email the third week of May
Fall Application Period
- Applications open on July 15 and close on August 1
- Application decisions will be sent via email the third week of August
KACIF Information and Application
Additional Scholarship Opportunities
All additional scholarship opportunities are posted in the Job Listings section of CORE. These include scholarships sponsored by law firms, bar associations, professional organizations, and more. To view current scholarship opportunities, go to the "Job Listings" section of CORE, and change the "Type of Job" filter to "Scholarship."