Is this the LSFN fellowship?
LAAC is the new home of the LSFN fellowship! For more information about the LSFN Fellowship’s history, see here. Many of our links, especially in 2026, will link to historical information provided by the Legal Services Funders Network while we build out the new home of the fellowship at LAAC.
The LSFN fellowship was designed in the midst of the 2020 coronavirus pandemic to address the needs of Bay Area Legal Services Organizations to increase their capacity to serve more clients. May 2020 graduates of Bay Area law schools, facing delays in California Bar Exam scheduling, were matched with LSOs, granting them the opportunity to build skills and experience during an uncertain summer. As the program continued, it was clear that it needed a permanent home.
Finding permanent employment in civil legal aid is difficult for recent grads. This program creates bridge funding that allows graduates time to study for and take the California Bar Exam. At the same time, Fellows are able to work on their resume and skills while providing important support to legal services organizations.
General information
How do I apply? Both the law school graduates and Host Legal Services Organizations (LSOs) apply using an online application. The application will be posted on our website by April 3, 2026.
What is the deadline to apply? Applications will close on April 15 at 5:00 pm, but we encourage you to apply early.
What is the difference between a joint application and a solo application? Joint applications are for an LSO host to apply *with* a law student that they’ve already identified. Solo applications are for law students and potential LSO hosts to apply separately, and LAAC will do the best to quickly match to see if a connection can be made. Joint applications are prioritized and processed first.
How can I find a prospective Fellow or LSO Hosts to apply with “jointly”? The majority of past “joint applications” came from law students who have interned at their LSO Host previously/or are interning at the time they submit their applications. However, each year, there was at least one Fellow applicant who on their own reached out to a potential LSO Host and applied jointly. Here is a list of our past LSO hosts.
How many Fellows and LSO Hosts are in a cohort? The number of fellowships is dependent upon our fundraising efforts this spring. We aim to have 25 Fellows in the summer of 2026. We unfortunately are unable to accept all qualified applicants and LSO Hosts. Based on recent years, the acceptance rate has been between 50-60%.
Are the Fellows employees? No. This fellowship is a post-graduate learning opportunity that offers recent law school graduates firsthand experience and training in various fields of poverty law. Fellows will receive a stipend to help with living costs, educational loan payments, and transportation. The stipend is a lump sum (paid in three installments) and we recommend that LSO Hosts not attempt to compute an hourly “rate.” The stipend may be considered taxable income and we expect Fellows to do their own research and seek guidance from tax advisors as to how this may affect their personal taxes.
When are the Fellows expected to work? This is a part-time fellowship. The commitment is 400hrs (375 hours are devoted to the LSO Host and 25 hours to the learning sessions and support for the larger LSFN program). The goal is for fellows to largely not work at all while studying for the bar exam and complete the majority of the hours between August and October.
What are Fellows expected to do before taking the bar exam? Pre-bar exam tasks and responsibilities should take up to 8 hours in total. Between May and the end of July, the fellow is expected to:
- Attend 4 hours of learning sessions via zoom
- Complete approximately 2 hours of onboarding tasks, including completing PTLS forms, creating/updating LinkedIn profiles, registering on Slack, etc.
- Spend up to an hour meeting with your Fellowship Mentor (assigned by LAAC)
- Spend up to 2 hours meeting with the LSO host, which could include meeting with the Fellow’s supervisor(s), attending a staff meeting, onboarding and reviewing the LSOs handbook/other operations materials, reviewing substantive law related to the LSOs focus (this may include PLI and Bar Association training videos) and potentially observing a client meeting, court hearing or policy meeting.
What happens after the Fellow completes their hours? Historically, about half of the prior LSFN Fellows stayed on with their LSO Host as staff attorneys, law clerks or in year-long fellowships. For many, the transition is almost seamless, as they execute job offers prior to completion of the fellowship and don’t have a time gap between roles. Some Fellows accept job offers from other employers and depart their LSO Hosts once they have completed the 375 hours commitment (Note: all 2026 Fellows are required to attend Learning Sessions through November to receive the final stipend, even if they complete their LSO Hosts hours sooner).
Can I talk to a past Fellow or LSO Host to better understand the program? You can watch our video of the 2026 Info Session to hear directly from past hosts and fellows. You are also welcome to watch the recording of Stakeholder Briefings for prior cohorts, which are on the LSFN Fellowship website. Here is the link to the 2025 briefing.
How is this program funded? The funds come from contributions made by previous supporters of the LSFN fellowship. We are working to expand the program in the future and hope to count new funders as supporters.
Have more questions? Feel free to submit them to us at: Fellowships@LAAConline.org. We will post updates to these FAQs on our website.
Information for current law students who want to apply
If selected, how would I be paid? Payment is done electronically via Bill.com. Fellows will receive instructions re: how to sign up and will be expected to provide all tax-related documents in advance (W-9) and enroll in bill.com for direct deposit of their funds. The payments will be done in three tranches: June, September and November. The planned Fellow stipend for 2026 is $16,000.
Can I receive funding from other fellowship programs? Yes. We do not restrict other sources of funding, but note that other fellowship programs might not allow you to receive outside funds.
If selected, would I get health insurance? Your host organization will not provide health insurance during the fellowship period. If you need health insurance, we encourage you to check out Covered California.
Will I be expected to work while I study for the Bar Exam? Fellows may not be scheduled to work during the six week period from mid June through the Bar Exam date. Fellows must re-engage with their LSO Host by mid-August. The remainder of the schedule is up to the Fellow and LSO Host. Many Fellows take a break after the Bar Exam, start full-time with their LSO Host in mid-August and complete their time before the end of October. Others opt to rejoin their LSO Host immediately after the bar exam, work 15-20 hours each week and stay through early December. We also ask that LSO Hosts not expect Fellows to be available during Fellows cohort programs (usually held on the first TH of each month from 3:00-5:00pm) and during Bar prep course times.
Can a 2026 Fellow reside outside of the Bay Area/Northern California? Yes, if the fellow has applied to work with a “rural serving” LSO, we require that the fellow live within commuting distance. LSOs require in-person work either full or part-time. As a result, we do not offer the fellowship to graduates who do not plan to reside in the Bay Area, Northern California, or near the “rural serving” organization they co-apply with.
Why are only certain law schools and counties included? Matching Fellows and LSOs in the same or a nearby county is important to us to make this a “locals helping locals program,” limit commutes, and avoid the need for relocation. Historically, the fellowship funded only Bay Area placements, but we are expanding to organizations that serve rural Californians in 2026 and plan to further expand in 2027. Fellows must attend California law schools.
Is there a required minimum GPA to participate in the program? No. We do not require a minimum GPA to participate in the Fellowship, nor do we request such information as part of the application process.
What if I am not a US Citizen? You do not have to be a US Citizen to participate as a fellow. All Fellows must be authorized for employment in the United States without employer sponsorship.
Information for legal services organizations (LSO) interested in hosting
Can we get a copy of the host MOU in advance? Yes, we will post our MOU and other relevant materials on our website after the April 3, 2026 info session. See our 2025 agreement here.
What about the LSO Host Stipend? Payment is made in a single transfer of funds in August via bill.com if the host has a bill.com account. Otherwise, the payment will be by mailed check. The planned host stipend for 2026 is $1,500.
Do we need to provide benefits to the Fellow? No. The Fellow is not an employee, and this is a temporary position. We do not expect or anticipate LSO Hosts to provide fellows with benefits (health insurance, vacation and/or sick pay).
Can we ask for additional application materials from a potential fellow? LSO Hosts who opt to apply via the “joint application process” may schedule interviews with prospective fellows and ask for additional materials prior to submitting their application to the fellowship. LAAC will not require additional information, nor pass on additional information from fellows.
How many prospective Fellows/LSOs can be interviewed? Prospective LSO Hosts who apply via the “joint application track” with their prospective fellows matches may schedule interviews with prospective fellows at their own discretion. Matching “solo” applicants is done very thoughtfully by our staff. We provide each applicant with one interview at a time. Over 80% of the time both the law student and LSO Host mutually agreed they were a good fit. In a few very rare situations this is not the case and we send a second applicant to be interviewed. We do not allow consideration of more than one prospective Fellow/LSO Host at the same time.
Can we apply to the Fellowship program to extend the duration of a law student volunteer/intern we currently have? Yes! “Joint” applications are prioritized. Historically, close to 50% of past LSFN Fellows and LSO Hosts applied via this option.
What types of tasks can I give a Fellow? As our Fellows have graduated from law school and have prior legal experience, the tasks they should be assigned are very similar to what you would give to a new staff attorney. We ask that LSO Hosts give their Fellows meaningful legal work and expose them to a range of tasks and experiences. We recommend that LSO Hosts review the State Bar PTLS site to review limitations.
Can we apply for a Fellow for a specific department at our LSO? Yes. In fact, for generalist LSOs we ask that you identify the specific department(s) you are envisioning your Fellow supporting. For subject matter specific LSOs (such as immigration) or those who serve specific populations (such as Seniors), we ask that LSO Hosts specify in their applications the specific legal issues the Fellow may cover. This information is needed so we ensure grant compliance with our funders, who may fund only specific substantive legal issues, geography, or client communities.
How long can my Fellow participate in the Practical Training of Law Student (PTLS)/Certified Law Student Program? The State Bar of California controls the duration of the provisional license. Based on the current rules and July bar exam, the license would expire in mid-November. Generally, students should immediately apply after matching with the host organization.
What is required in terms of reporting? It is up to each host LSO to determine the data and measurables that they want their Fellow(s) to track, per that organization’s norm. We provide a simple form to track hours as well. As for what will be required in the mid-term and final reports, they will be straightforward and simple to complete.
What if we want to offer the Fellow a job after the Fellowship concludes? That would be great! In 2024 well over half of the LSFN Fellows continued on with their LSO Hosts or another LSO Host. Many of our past Fellows complete their hours in October and transition to staff attorney or law clerk roles mid-month. We do require that Fellows who complete their hours “early” still attend our Learning Sessions and complete their final evaluations even if they accept other jobs prior to the end of the Fellowship season.