针对律师：公益法律研究及实践项目招募候选人

    在此，公益法研究所非常高兴地邀请您参与2012至2013年度公益法律研究及实践项目的申请，此项目欲从中国、尼泊尔、尼日利亚、俄罗斯及东南亚招募致力于公益法律研究及实践的律师到纽约、布达佩斯等地进行为期10个月的公益法学习、研究及实践。报名者应是积极致力于公益法律研究与实践的先锋。

     公益法研究所将招募来自世界各地的公益法律师。项目第一阶段，他们将在哥伦比亚法学院学习有关公益法律课程，同时还将参与各种公益法实践培训,为期5个月。第二年春天，项目参与者将进入纽约地区的公益法组织进行3个月的实习。此后，项目成员会进入公益法研究所在布达佩斯办公室进行2个月的访问学习。公益法研究所希望参与者通过上述学习及实践、能够将项目期间设计的公益法律项目在其本国付诸实施。

    公益法研究所将负担项目参与者的下列费用：项目参与者由本国出发到美国的往返经济舱机票，纽约与布达佩斯之间的交通费、在纽约及布达佩斯由公益法研究所安排的住宿、按月发放的生活费、书本费用补贴以及意外险保险费。被选中的项目参与人需要同公益法研究所签订一份协议，以明确此次奖学金项目的详细要求及规定，同时申明项目参与人保证完成项目所安排的全部培训课程及实习工作。

•       申请人应当是具有在其本国有成为公益法领军人物可能的律师；

•       申请人所在的组织出具的候选人与该机构之间关系的证明信；申请人所在机构的推荐信；

•       至少具有两年以上的在所在机构从事公益法实践；

•       候选人能用英文与其他成员沟通，并能旁听法律课程和足以应对实习过程中的交流；

•       相关推荐机构在公益法律服务领域有良好记录；

•       申请人还应提供旨在提升本国公益法律研究与实践及权利保护工作的项目建议书。

•       填写完整的申请书；

•       个人简历

•       申请人所服务或从事志愿工作组织的推荐书，推荐书中应表明申请人如果参与此项目将会给该组织或机构带来何种的益处；

•       两份推荐书，其中应当有一份来自于候选人所服务组织之外的个人（请列明推荐人的工作单位和联系方式）；

•       项目第一学期的工作计划描述，以及其回国后将如何把学习到的相关知识运用到实践中的计划书；

•       候选者在法学院学习期间的成绩单复印件（一份）；

•       候选者的律师资格证书或法律执业证书复印件（一份）；

•       推荐组织或机构的相关信息；同时，欢迎申请人附上其他虽未要求，但能证明申请人相关能力的推荐信或证明材料；

项目描述应该是2-3页、描述您学习期间想要学习和发展的专业知识和您的项目设想。

•       一个初步的项目描述；

•       设计的项目为什么重要；

•       您的项目成功的原因和怎样成功；

•       您的项目怎样能够作用您所在的国家，来增强您的计划。

公众利益的项目可能包括，包括但不限于:

•       促进法律的改革减少种族歧视；

•       保护弱势群体权益的项目；

•       在大学里建立法律教育诊所。

    上述所有申请资料需要提交中英文两个版本。请将上述相关电子版材料打包后通过电子邮件发送。面试时将要求出示所有申请文件的原件。如提交申请材料不完整将不会被考虑，如果申请人未能全面提交上述申请材料，则该申请会被视为无效，除非该申请者能够合理的解释其不能获得该材料的原因。

    请将上述材料于2012年3月26日之前发送给公益法研究所的项目的协调人Erin Carll，她的E-mail地址是：[email protected].同时，和项目申请有关的问题，请直接和她联系。

    请注意：公益法研究所不能为您的随行家属提供资金资助，也不能提供适合家庭居住的住房。另外，如果您希望带随行家属参加此项目，哥伦比亚大学在为随行家属提供官方邀请函之前，需要您提供该家属的经济能力担保或证明文件。提交该证明的责任在项目参与者，公益法研究所将不承担该项责任。

PILnet: The Global Network for Public Interest Law is pleased to invite applications for the PILnet International Fellowship for 2012–13. PILnet will select lawyers from China, the Middle East and North Africa (specifically Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, and Tunisia), and Southeast Asia (especially Indonesia, Cambodia, and Vietnam) for ten months of study and practical experience in New York and Budapest, Hungary. The program, now in its fifteenth year, targets future leaders in various fields of public interest advocacy. 

PILnet International Fellows will join other public interest lawyers from around the world. They will reside a total of eight months in the U.S. and two months in Europe, during which time they will develop a project designed to further the rule of law in their home countries. The Fellowship begins with a semester of study at Columbia University School of Law and a series of professional development trainings. In the spring, the International Fellows will participate in three-month internships at New York-based public interest law organizations and a study visit based out of PILnet’s Budapest office. Fellows return to their home countries after the Fellowship with the aim of implementing the project they developed during the Fellowship. 

PILnet will cover the cost of a round-trip coach airfare to the U.S. and Europe, housing in New York and Europe, a monthly stipend, and emergency medical insurance. Selected candidates for the Fellowship are required to sign an agreement to the terms of the program, stating that they will complete it in full.

•        A completed program application form;

•        A curriculum vitae or resume;

•        A nominating letter from ­­the organization where they are employed, supporting their application to the program and indicating how the PILnet Fellowship would benefit the organization/institution;

•        Two recommendation letters (in addition to the nominating letter), at least one from an individual outside of the nominating organization (additional recommendations welcome);

•        A description of a project that the applicant would like to work on during the first semester of the program, ideally with practical significance to their work upon returning home;*

•        A copy of the applicant’s law school transcript;

•        A copy of the applicant’s bar membership if available; and

•        Information on the nominating organization/institution.

*The project description should be a two- to three-page outline of a project that the candidate would like to develop during the PILnet Fellowship period. This should include:

•        A preliminary description of the project,

•        Why it is important that this project be executed,

•        How and why the project can succeed, and

•        Who will be engaged in the home country, the U.S., and Europe, in order to improve the quality of the project.

Examples of public interest advocacy projects might include but are certainly not limited to:

•        Promoting legal reform to reduce racial discrimination,

•        Improving implementation and enforcement of children’s rights law, and

•        Establishing legal education clinics in universities.

•        Public interest leadership potential in his or her country;

•        The nature of the candidate’s relationship with the nominating organization (minimum of two years working experience with the organization is required); and

•        The candidate’s ability to communicate in English.

•        The quality of the proposed project and its potential for promoting public interest law and human rights in the candidate’s home country; and

•        The track record of the nominating organization in promoting public interest advocacy.

Applications forms are available here.

Submission of application materials should be sent to [email protected]. INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. If an application is submitted without one of the required components, it will be disqualified unless the applicant can justify why he/she cannot obtain the required information.

The DEADLINE for receiving applications at PILnet is 26 March 2012.  For more information, please contact Erin Carll, Program Coordinator, at [email protected].

Please note that PILnet cannot provide any financial or logistical assistance for accompanying family members, including in securing suitable family housing. Moreover, Columbia University requires evidence of financial support for accompanying family members before it can issue official invitations required for visa applications. Providing proof of the requisite financial support for accompanying family members will be the responsibility of the applicant.