How to Apply

Eligibility

Only applicants who are U.S. citizens and hold a J.D. or other post-graduate degree at the time of application will be considered.

The Commission is especially interested in candidates who are completing or have recently completed at least one judicial clerkship and anticipate pursuing careers in the academy or in public service.

Selection Process

The Supreme Court Fellows Commission selects fellows through a highly competitive process that includes review of submitted materials and interviews of finalists.

The Commission’s review of applications begins promptly after the filing deadline. The Commission selects a small group of finalists and will notify them of selection by January. Finalists are invited to a two-day interview program in Washington, D.C., in February, timed to coincide with the Supreme Court Fellows Program Alumni Association’s annual dinner. Finalists attend the annual dinner at the Supreme Court, as well as a public event sponsored by the Fellows Program, often featuring a Justice.

The Program will pay the finalists’ travel expenses in accordance with federal allowances. Finalists will be notified of selection decisions within two weeks of the interviews.

Application Requirements

Online Application Form

• Candidate information form
• Résumé highlighting academic, professional, and personal achievements
• Original research proposal of not more than 1,000 words, citations excluded, on a legal topic of scholarly interest. The proposal should indicate which of the four sponsoring offices would be the appropriate venue to conduct your research. We will evaluate your proposal as indicative of your professional interests and your potential for producing useful scholarship during the fellowship. Although the topic you choose should reflect your primary interests, it will not determine your placement among the four offices or prevent you from being considered by all four of the sponsoring offices. Your Proposal MUST be in either PDF or Microsoft Word format.

Letters of Recommendation

• Two candidate recommendations, sent directly by the recommenders, preferably including at least one letter from a judge

Contact Us

Submit questions about the Program in writing, or call 202-479-3411.