ISF Public Interest Legal Fellowship

Sponsor a fellow committed to advancing justice and equality

ISF's Mission

The Islamic Scholarship Fund (ISF) increases American Muslim representation in public interest law, government, film, and journalism, to improve public policy and public opinion. ISF empowers emerging leaders and storytellers, through academic scholarships, internships, fellowships, and professional development support. 

Since ISF’s founding 15 years ago, ISF has awarded over $3.5 million to American Muslims across these verticals. ISF alums include public officials, public interest attorneys, activists, and award-winning journalists and filmmakers.

Read more in our annual report.

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LAUNCHING A Legal FELLOWSHIP

ISF seeks to launch a post-graduate, legal fellowship. Through this fellowship, ISF would fund one year of legal work at a public interest organization. Eligible applicants will include graduating law students who identify as Muslim. Eligible host organizations may include non-profits that litigate, advocate, and otherwise work on issues that further social justice. ISF intends to consider a broad range of organizations and legal work to encourage creative ideas from applicants.

Objectives

ISF seeks to launch this fellowship to help Muslims advance in influential, public interest law careers. ISF acknowledges that Muslim candidates for other project-based fellowships may be less favored due to their identities and/or activism for Palestine or other issues. ISF hopes to address this growing concern by supporting those candidates in launching their public interest careers.

Process and timeline

Applicants will first secure a host organization and design a proposal with the host, similar to the Skadden and Equal Justice Works (EJW) fellowship processes. Recognizing that many applicants will first apply with Skadden and EJW, the ISF fellowship will start receiving applications in the spring (toward the end of the EJW timeline) and award the fellowship in May or June, for fellows to start working in the fall.  

ISF will only award this fellowship to an applicant who has not been chosen for a different fellowship; however, applying for other fellowships will not be a prerequisite.

Salary and benefits

The ISF fellowship would pay for one fellow’s salary of $70,000 for one year. ISF will make these payments to the host organization, which will pay the fellow according to its existing payroll procedures.  The host organization must provide the fellow’s medical and dental insurance, and may provide additional pay and/or benefits. The host should ensure the fellow’s annual salary complies with any attorney salary scale it may have.

FUNDING FOR THE FELLOWSHIP

There are two primary ways for ISF to fundraise for this fellowship: either through year-by-year fundraising or setting up an endowment that will support it for perpetuity. Year-by-year funding would require outreach and fundraising of $70,000 each year, while an endowment would require fundraising of $700,000 once to support one fellow per year.

WHY ESTABLISH A LEGAL FELLOWSHIP?

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Involve Your Law Firm

Show the community that your firm cares. Establish a fellowship in honor of your firm or organization.

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Memorialize a Mentor

Gift a mentor, family member, or other loved one who impacted your education or law career with a gift in their name.

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Support Change in Law

Fund law students pursuing their education and career in government, law, or policy to increase representation where it matters most.

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Build a Better Country

Do your part to ensure your children and the next generation live in a more equitable and just world.

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Establish a Sadiqa Jariya

Establish an ongoing charity for yourself or a loved one to make a lasting and significant impact in this lifetime and the next.

Choose how to give

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Select from the following payment options, depending on what works best for you or your firm/organization:

 

Contact us to leave a legacy through our endowment fund at snikooei@IslamicScholarshipFund.org

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Read Our Annual Report

Read more about how ISF's cycle of support develops the next generation of leaders and changemakers.

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Learn About ISF's Academic Law Scholarships

See how we support public interest law students and provide financial awards toward their tuition.

LEARN MORE