Program Overview
View the recording of our 2026 Information Session
Presentation slides
The applications are live! Please review the information session or slides prior to applying, as they will answer most questions. Please also check out our FAQs here.
LAAC is the new home of the LSFN fellowship! For more information about the LSFN Fellowship’s history, see here.
The LSFN fellowship was designed in the midst of the 2020 COVID pandemic. Bay Area legal services organizations struggled to increase their capacity to serve clients. The fellowship granted these nonprofits crucial support from May 2020 graduates of Bay Area law schools, who, in light of California Bar Exam delays, faced 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, and this program creates bridge funding that allows graduates time to study for and take the California Bar Exam and build their resume and skills, while also providing that important capacity to legal services organizations.
Court rules allow recent graduates the ability to provide legal services while under the supervision of legal nonprofits through California Rules of Court 9.42. This program is only available to law school graduates who have not yet taken the California Bar exam and have not yet had the opportunity to take an exam previously offered. As a result, the Public Interest Bar Fellowship Program cannot be offered to students who graduated prior to May 2026. Read more information here.
The Fellowship strengthens the entire California legal aid ecosystem. By participating in the Public Interest Bar Fellowship Program as a funder, Fellow, or LSO host organization, you will:
- Support local communities as they collectively face challenges of unemployment, at-risk work environments, eviction or loss of homes, discrimination, fraud, abuse, and wrongfully denied benefits, among other issues
- Support LSOs at a time of great need. Fellows will also provide a pipeline for hiring qualified and seasoned additional staff attorneys.
- Support the training and use of recent law school graduates to work on legal issues that impact those most in need, provide fellows with reasonable compensation for their time, create community for fellows post-graduation; and leave them with sufficient time to prepare for the upcoming California Bar Exam.
Funding and Finances
This program is funded by contributions from local funders, including individuals, foundations, crowd-sourced funders, governmental entities and law firms. LSFN Fellows receive a $16,000 stipend* (paid in three installments) for the Fellow’s commitment to the host LSO for a period of 6 months, from May/June through November/December of 2026. The Fellow will contribute 400 hrs in total. A $1,500 contribution to the Host LSO to help cover overhead (to cover onboarding, State Bar registration fees, training & supervising the Fellow) and administrative costs.
Guidelines, Criteria, and Requirements
This program has been designed with a local lens and was limited until 2025 to LSOs in the Bay Area, Central Coast and Northern California counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Monterey, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, Sonoma and Yolo. In 2026, however, we will expand to allow graduates to work with LSOs that serve rural Californians as long as those graduates also affirm that they will live in those counties and be able to work in-person with the LSO, as organizations require in-person meetings with clients and court hearings may also be scheduled during this fellowship.
Fellows
May 2026 graduates (receiving a JD, an LLM or a joint degree, such as a JD/MBA) from ABA-accredited law schools in California are eligible to apply as a fellow either via a solo application or a joint application. May 2026 graduates from California-accredited law schools may apply via our joint application process if they have matched with an eligible host LSO. (See list of all law schools here)
If selected, the Public Interest Bar Fellows must:
- Sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), committing to complete the fellowship and meet all program requirements (see below). 2025’s MOU is linked here as an example
- Submit all necessary forms to the LAAC and the State Bar of California in a timely manner.
- Complete and comply with the California State Bar’s Rules Governing Practical Training of Law Students.
- If not already matched, be open to collaborating with LAAC in selecting their placement and complete the selection process in a timely, respectful and responsible manner.
- Provide their host LSO with reasonable notice re: dates they will not be available.
- Participate in Fellows cohort programs. Fellows will “meet up” once a month virtually (most often on the 1st Thursday of the month). We hope to have a few in-person social gatherings as well.
- Provide LAAC with written midpoint and end of year-end reports describing the impact of the fellowship on you as a new attorney, your host LSO and the clients served.
Legal Services Organizations
LSOs based (or with a satellite office) in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Monterey, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, Sonoma, or Yolo county may apply to host up to three fellows. Additional counties that serve primarily rural Californians will also be eligible. Please email Fellowships@LAAConline.org if you have a question about a particular county.
LSOs must have 501(c)(3) status or be fiscally sponsored. Organizations applying must be a legal agency or social services agency with a legal department providing direct legal services, litigation, policy advocacy, and/or engaging in community lawyering.
If selected, Grantee LSO Hosts must:
- Sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). 2025’s MOU is linked here as an example.
- Provide the Fellow with tools and supervision needed to be engaged, successful and productive.
- Complete and comply with the California State Bar’s Rules Governing Practical Training of Law Students.
- If not already matched, collaborate with LAAC in selecting their legal fellow(s) and complete the selection process in a timely, respectful and responsible manner.
- Allow the Fellow to plan not to work during Fellows cohort programs, Bar prep course times and the July “blackout” period.
- Attend the Fellowship Informational Program (or view the recording).
- Attend the LSO Host meeting in June.
- Provide LAAC with a written midpoint and year-end report describing the impact of the fellow in the organization and community served.
Matches will be made using the following criteria:
- Experience/subject matter knowledge
- Applicants’ prior clinic and/or law related work experience. Note: LSOs who have had prior experience with a May, 2026 law school graduate as an intern or employee may apply jointly (“joint applicants”) to have the graduate return back to the LSO. These placements will be prioritized and expedited.
- Poverty law courses taken while in law school, such as: Family Law/Domestic Violence, Immigration, Criminal Law, Housing Law, Healthcare & Benefits, Bankruptcy, Civil Rights/Discrimination, Small Business and Employment Law.
- Applicants’ languages spoken/written and level of fluency.
- Applicants’ place of residence between August-November 2025. The goal of this program is to have Fellows and their host organizations reside in the same county or in adjacent counties.
- Additional Requirements: We will try to accommodate LSOs with unique needs. For example, LSOs that meet clients at home, at community centers or cover a large geographic area may need a Fellow with access to a car.
How to apply
The application will be posted here by April 3, 2026. We will post a PDF of the questions by March 31, 2026 so that potential applicants can review the application in advance.
2026 timeline
We intentionally do not start our application process until after most other fellowships and staff attorney hiring has been completed, as we want law students to be able to pursue those opportunities fully. Once a prospective Fellow accepts their offer to become a Public Interest Bar Fellow and completes their paperwork, we ask that they honor their commitment.
- March 18th: 3pm Information Session via Zoom
- April 3rd: Application period opens. Note: applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. The earlier an application is received the better one’s chances are of being accepted.
- April 7th-25th: Solo applicants matching by staff & Interviews
- April 15th: Application period closes
- April 27th: Fellows are notified if selected by this date.
- May 8th: Paperwork must be completed and returned
- May 26-29th (TBD): First Fellow Learning Session (mandatory)
- May 15th-June 30th: Limited Pre-bar requirements must be completed
- July: “Blackout Period” for Bar Exam
- August 17th: Deadline for Fellows to return back to their LSO Hosts
- October-December: Fellows complete their commitment to their LSO Host.
- The date of completion varies depending on the schedule the Fellow and LSO Host agrees to. However, Fellows must continue to attend Learning Sessions in November and December, even if they have completed their time with their LSO Host.
- December: Fellows Celebration
Application processes
Phase 1: Joint applications are prioritized. Review “joint” applications from LSO Hosts and Fellows applicants who have applied jointly to have the graduate return back to the LSO. Confirmation of the placement will be sent via email. Note: the number of joint applicants approved will determine how many “solo” applications we can fund, so we encourage “joint applicants” to submit their applications by April 12th at the latest.
Phase 2: LSOs and Fellows applicants who have applied “solo” will be matched in the following manner:
- After screening applications, LAAC will propose a match and send contact information to both the potential Fellow and potential Host LSO.
- After receiving this information, they will conduct a virtual (e.g. Zoom, FaceTime, Google Hangout) or phone interview within 72 hours and independently report back to us within 48hrs the outcome of the interview.
- If there is mutual interest, the match will be confirmed. If either the potential Fellow or the host LSO does not feel well suited for the match, both parties will reenter the applicant/host pools.
Disclaimer
Applying to participate in the Public Interest Bar Fellowship program does not guarantee placement. We will do our best to place as many Fellows applicants as possible, based on the funding available and needs of the LSO Hosts. LAAC is serving solely as the facilitator of this program and has not entered into an employment relationship with the Fellows or host LSOs. LAAC shall be held harmless from any/all claims relating to placement of Fellows and to their contribution to the LSOs during and after placement.
Review our FAQ here! Please reach out to fellowships@laaconline.org with any questions.