The Ms. JD Fellowship, one of our most popular programs, is now open for applications!

In 2010, Ms. JD partnered with the ABA Commission on Women in the Profession to found the Ms. JD Fellowship. The Fellowship is Ms. JD's program to promote mentoring and professional development. Each spring, Ms. JD selects a group of outstanding second year law students as Fellowship winners. In addition to receiving financial support and invitations to ABA and Ms. JD events, each Fellowship winner is paired with a mentor chosen from among the Brent Award Winners and ABA Commission on Women in the Profession Commissioners. To read more about one Fellow's experience, click here.

Each year, the Fellows tell us that one of the best parts of the Fellowship is meeting the other incredible rising 3Ls. They also say they wish they had more opportunities to interact with one another. This year's class will get that opportunity. In addition to their mentorship, the Fellows will choose a project that they want to work on as a group. With Ms. JD's support, our Fellows will have the chance to spend the year working together to help change the face of the legal profession the way they want to see it changed. To get the project ideas flowing, we're asking this year's Fellow applicants to propose their ideal project as part of their application. The project essays from the winning fellows will be posted on Ms. JD's blog and you'll hear from the Fellows next year when they announce what their project will be!

Here's what you'll need to submit to apply for the fellowship:

1. Resume (Must include a link to your LinkedIn Profile)

2. Transcripts

3. One paragraph (250 words) completing the question "I want and deserve to be a Ms. JD Fellow because"

4. One paragraph (250 words) completing the question "If I could design a project to further women in the law, it would be…"

A couple of tips:

1.  You should consider that the Fellows are nationwide and will need to be able to work on the project together but remotely (through conference calls, Google docs, etc.) so that your project is practical.

2. Consider leveraging the Ms. JD platform. How can you help women law students through NWLSO? Is there something you could do to further the Global Education Fund?  Do you love the Ms. JD Library?  What have you noticed at school or work that needs to change and what can you do to help change it? This is your chance to consider what you're passionate about and then run with it!

3. We're asking you for your LinkedIn profile because having one is a huge part of your professional identity.  If you haven't developed your profile yet, now is a great time to start!  Also, from a practical standpoint, there's a fellows group on LinkedIn that allows all of the fellows from the previous classes to interact with one another.

Submit your application to fellowship@ms-jd.org. Applications are due March 8, 2013, at midnight. Ms. JD will announce Fellowship finalists at the beginning of April. Finalists will complete interviews with two Ms. JD board members by the end of April and the Ms. JD Fellows and their mentors will be announced in early May.