If you’re generally libertarian, conservative, or centrist in your legal outlook, and are interested in going on the law teaching market, I highly recommend this program, which offers a stipend of $50,000 plus benefits, as well as office space at a law school. The application is due March 15, 2010.
Steve says:
Interestingly, the official description of the program says nothing about being “generally libertarian, conservative, or centrist in your legal outlook,” but does say recipients of the fellowship must have a commitment to “intellectual diversity in legal academia.” Apparently liberals aren’t the only ones who know the trick of using diversity as a code word!
January 28, 2010, 6:47 pmJustin says:
Someone who is politically center-left but has a nonpolitical or centrist research agenda shouldn’t bother applying, right?
January 28, 2010, 6:57 pmEugene Volokh says:
Justin: I wouldn’t say that he shouldn’t bother applying, but my guess (and it’s just a guess — I’ve never been involved in the screening process) is that the Federalists would like to use their fellowships to advance people with generally Federalist sympathies, just like I’m sure liberal organizations use their fellowships to advance people with generally liberal sympathies.
January 28, 2010, 7:18 pmIdahonian says:
Does anyone know whether this is offered every year? It’s definitely something I would like to consider, but I have a clerkship lined up for the coming year…
January 28, 2010, 8:11 pmlgm says:
Not wrong:
But misleading. As our host implies, it should say: “Criteria include, but are not limited to:
January 28, 2010, 8:32 pmMark N. says:
Isn’t that what “include” always means? If someone means to lay out the complete set of criteria, they would say something like “the criteria are the following” or “applicants will be judged by the following criteria”. Saying that they merely “include” a list inherently implies that the list may not be complete. For example: popular edible vegetables include the pepper, cucumber, and broccoli.
January 28, 2010, 8:53 pmThe Curmudgeonly Ex-Clerk says:
Not to mention the fact that it is obvious, based on its mission statement, that the Federalist Society is devoted to cultivating conservative and libertarian legal thought in particular.
January 28, 2010, 9:04 pmEric Rasmusen says:
How nice that they call them “Olin Fellows”. I was an economist Olin Fellow at Yale Law back in 1992, when the Olin Foundation hadn’t finished spending all its money. Am I right in thinking that the Olins aren’t funding this, and are just being honored with the name?
January 28, 2010, 10:10 pmArthurKirkland says:
Libertarian? Centrist? Would someone with an outstanding record of scholarship concerning defense of early-term abortion, same-sex marriage, open military service by gays, or legalization of marijuana have any chance?
If so, I would reconsider my sense that Olin means ‘conservative.’
Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
January 28, 2010, 10:23 pmAlan says:
Stupid but serious question: does anyone know of any opportunities for people with non-exceptional resumes (no clerkship, no law review, and grades at the bottom of the top 25 percent of a law school that’s not extremely highly ranked)?
January 29, 2010, 12:43 amCornellian says:
Stupid but serious question: does anyone know of any opportunities for people with non-exceptional resumes (no clerkship, no law review, and grades at the bottom of the top 25 percent of a law school that’s not extremely highly ranked)?
Sad to say, but in today’s legal economy, a lot of people with that resume are hanging out a shingle or, if they need to make more money than sole practice typically pays, they’re flipping burgers or serving coffee at Starbucks.
January 29, 2010, 1:00 amAlan says:
That’s indeed what I figured. No surprise, given the vast number of rejections I’ve received.
And of course solo practice might well lead the solo practitioner to lose money, especially if he’s a relatively recent law grad.
Oh, well.
January 29, 2010, 1:40 amCornellian says:
Alan, there are way, way, way more people out there with that resume than there are jobs for people with that resume. You need something that sets you apart from those other people.
Typical candidates for that extra edge would be
1) You know someone who can get you in the door somewhere
January 29, 2010, 1:52 am2) You have a degree (ideally a MSc or PhD) in something like computer science, engineering or biochemistry
3) You are willing to work in a smaller city far from the big legal centers and have a credible-sounding reason for wanting to do so (e.g. you grew up there)
4) You have Academy Award winning job interview skills
5) You have a resume geared towards a specialty practice and can credibly say you want to work in that speciality, e.g. you were previously a human resources manager and want to do employment law, or were previously an IRS auditor and want to do tax law
Michael Risch says:
Justin –
Prof. Volokh is right that it helps to have something that the Federalist Society is interested in. If you have that they won’t ask about your politics (indeed, they may not in any event) I’m living proof of that. I believe in strong IP rights and won the fellowship a few years ago and my political views have never come up and are completely unapparent from my CV.
January 29, 2010, 6:56 amM says:
I have an interest in these kind of fellowships, but I really wish they’d increase the pay so that it was at least on par with a law clerk’s wage.
January 29, 2010, 9:57 amFC says:
M, you may be interested in fellowships but fellowships are not interested in you.
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