Skadden, Equal Justice Works, Justice Catalyst and Liman Fellowships
Short answer: These are project fellowships: you find a host, design a project together and apply as a pair. Skadden (two years, civil legal aid, $68,000 minimum pay for 2027) closed Aug. 31, 2026 (Skadden). EJW Design-Your-Own (two years, up to $66,500 a year in support) closed Sept. 17, 2026 (EJW). Justice Catalyst takes applications Oct. 19 to Dec. 1, 2026 (Justice Catalyst), and Yale's Liman runs Jan. 5 to Feb. 4, 2027 (Yale Liman Center).
Fast facts
- Skadden 2026 class: 34 Fellows from 20 law schools (Skadden).
- Skadden pay (class of 2027): $68,000 base support, plus $5,202 for employer FICA; hosts paying $73,000 or more get an extra $5,000 a year (Skadden).
- EJW: 60+ Design-Your-Own Fellows a year; up to $5,000 in loan repayment; fall training in Washington, D.C. (EJW).
- Justice Catalyst eligibility: JD or LLM received or expected December 2024 to summer 2027 (Justice Catalyst FAQ).
- Liman: about $60,000 for one year; more than 220 fellowships funded; over 80% of alumni work in the public sector (Yale Liman Center).
- Eligible: 3Ls, LL.M. students, clerks, or graduates within two years. U.S. citizenship is not required, but you must have taken or plan to take a U.S. bar exam (Skadden).
- Scope: civil legal work for low-income clients in the U.S.; criminal defense and work with guaranteed government-funded counsel are excluded (Skadden).
- Host rules: a stand-alone 501(c)(3) (not a law school clinic) with at least two full-time civil advocacy attorneys (Skadden host page).
- Selection: no GPA cutoff, but most successful candidates are in their school's top quartile. Interview invitations by Sept. 17, interviews Sept. 22 to Oct. 13 in Boston, D.C., New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Palo Alto, finalists by Oct. 16, and a final selection in November (Skadden).
- Support: full medical and dental coverage, need-based bar, relocation and loan-debt help, and a $2,000 training budget (Skadden).
- Two-year term. The host and Fellow set pay together, at no less than a similarly qualified lawyer at the host (EJW).
- Apply through Submittable. You are the primary applicant, and the host completes its own section. EJW grants no extensions (EJW).
- EJW also runs issue programs with separate deadlines, such as the Financial Empowerment Project (Oct. 5, 2026) and the Disaster Resilience Program (EJW).
- One-year, potentially renewable, project-based fellowships aimed at structural or "high-volume" change, often through litigation (Justice Catalyst) (Justice Catalyst).
- Hosts can be 501(c)(3)s, unions, plaintiff-side or public interest firms, or tribal, local, state or federal agencies (Justice Catalyst).
- The optional prospectus (Sept. 1-30, 2026) gets you feedback before the full application (Justice Catalyst). No recommendation letters or GPA; two references are listed on the form (Justice Catalyst FAQ).
- Open to Yale Law graduates and 3Ls; one year, sometimes extended with host funding (Yale Liman Center).
- Apply through the YLS Fellowships Common Application. Required: 500-word statement, 3,000-word proposal, two letters and a host letter. You must consult the Liman Center Executive Director first (Yale Liman Center).
Soros Justice is paused, with no 2025 call (Open Society Foundations). Many law schools fund their own fellowships, and some hosts top up external funding; CAC, for example, pays sponsored fellows up to $80,000 (CAC). To move to a firm or in-house role after a fellowship, see BCG Attorney Search.
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Q: How much does a Skadden Fellow make?
At least $68,000 for the class of 2027, and more if the host pays more (Skadden).
Q: How many Skadden Fellows are there?
34 in the 2026 class (Skadden).
Q: How much does an Equal Justice Works Fellow make?
The host sets pay; EJW provides up to $66,500 a year in support (EJW).
Q: When is the Justice Catalyst deadline?
Dec. 1, 2026 (Justice Catalyst).
Q: Can I apply to Skadden and EJW with the same project?
Yes. It is common, and Liman asks you to list your other applications (Yale Liman Center). Tell each funder if you accept another offer (Justice Catalyst).
Related guides
- Legal aid careers and PSLF
- Ideological fellowships
- Public defender offices
- Legal fellowships directory
- Clerkship Directory home
