The American Bar Association (ABA) Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources and California Rural Legal Assistance, Inc. are pleased to announce the sponsorship of a fellowship for an eligible law student during the summer of 2008. The ABA Diversity Fellowships in Environmental Law program is designed to encourage under-represented law students to study and pursue careers in environmental law and is open to first and second year law students and third year night students.

Established in 1966, California Rural Legal Assistance, Inc. (CRLA) is a private, non-profit California legal services organization whose purpose is to provide free legal representation to low-income communities throughout rural California. CRLA was the first state-wide and rural-focused legal services program in the nation, and it has gained a national reputation for its aggressive and imaginative advocacy on behalf of the rural poor, migrant and immigrant farm workers, and racial, cultural and linguistic minorities.

CRLA’s mission is to ensure access to justice and human rights for the poorest and most vulnerable members of our society: New immigrants, farm workers, single mothers, LBGT people, children, elderly people, people with disabilities and low-income families. CRLA community workers and attorneys are located in 22 offices and provide direct services to over 39,000 rural, low-income Californians in 25 counties, ranging from El Centro in the Imperial Valley through the Central Valley to Marysville in Sutter County, and along California’s South and Central Coastal valleys.

The Fellowship:

CRLA seeks fellowship candidates to work in the following project areas:

• Litigation, community education and outreach strategies in the area of pesticide use and their impact on farm workers, rural communities and consumers of fruits and vegetables.
• Development, design and implementation of a community education water curriculum, as well as the development of litigation options, in partnership with grass roots community groups on the front lines of water contamination issues.
• Research, community education, and litigation related to the impact of California dairies on the environmental health of Central Valley communities.

  Fellows will receive a $5000 stipend for the 8-10 week commitment and will be assigned an ABA mentor.

Eligibility:

• First or second year law students (and third year night students).
• Students from underprivileged and disadvantaged backgrounds, including, for example, those from low income or minority communities.

Fellowship Criteria:

• Interest in environmental issues.
• Commitment to rural and social justice issues.
• Outstanding personal qualities and leadership abilities.

Application Requirements:

• A resume.
• An application form (attached).
• A law school transcript (except for first year law students).
• A two-page essay describing applicant’s interest in environmental issues and reasons for wanting to participate in the Fellowship.

The Application: Please provide detailed answers to questions and required attachments specified in the application. The ABA Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources will maintain all information received from applicants in confidence but will share the information with the cosponsoring state entity and prospective employers. The Application is available in Adobe PDF or Microsoft Word format.

Deadline: Please submit your application via email or have your application postmarked by March 14, 2008.

To Apply: Please send materials to: Mike Meuter at mmeuter@crla.org or mail to CRLA, Attn: Mike Meuter, 3 Williams Road, Salinas, California 93905.