Columbia Public Interest Law Fellows Program
(2000-2002 session)

The Constitutional and Legislative Policy Institute (COLPI), an affiliate of the Open Society Institute (OSI-Budapest), in collaboration with the Public Interest Law Initiative in Transitional Societies (PILI) at Columbia Law School, is pleased to invite applications for the Public Interest Law Fellows Program. The deadline for applications is March 24, 2000.

The program will select seven lawyers from Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union for two years of study and practical work experience. Two slots in the program are specifically designated for women's rights advocates, two slots are designated for disability rights advocates, and the remaining three slots are undesignated. Applicants with a strong commitment to human rights or public interest law, a law degree, eligibility for legal practice in his/her country and proficiency in English may apply. Criteria for selection will include the experience of the applicant, the applicant's potential to contribute to the development of the human rights or public interest law field in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, and the suitability of the applicant's proposed role in the nominating NGO. Preference will be given to applicants under 35 years of age. Selection decisions will be made by April 30, 2000.

The Fellows will reside a total of one year in the US, consisting of one semester of study at Columbia University and two three-month internships. Fellows will return to their home countries after the first year, where they will spend at least one year working with their nominating NGO on human rights/public interest advocacy on a non-profit basis: providing legal services, litigating test cases, training/educating in human rights, etc.

Upon their selection, Fellows will be required to sign an agreement with COLPI/OSI Budapest according to which he/she will commit to two years in the program: the first year to be spent in the US; and the second year in his/her home country working with the nominating NGO.

COLPI will cover a round-trip coach airfare to the US and provide each Fellow with a monthly stipend for a period of up to 12 months, a one time textbook allowance of $500, and medical insurance for a year while in the US. The amount of this stipend is carefully calculated to cover the expenses of one person in the US for the period of one year. COLPI will also pay a local salary during the second year that is equal to an amount determined to be similar to equivalent work by the nominating NGO. This amount will be provided to the nominating NGOs in the form of a grant.

Please note, COLPI and PILI cannot provide any financial or logistical assistance for accompanying family members. Moreover, Columbia University requires evidence of financial support for accompanying family members. In the 1999/2000 academic year, this amount was equal to $360 a month for an accompanying spouse and $350 a month for each dependent child. Providing proof of the requisite financial support for accompanying family members will be the responsibility of the applicant.

Program Description

The goal of the Public Interest Law Initiative in Transitional Societies (PILI) is to assist the development and facilitate the networking of public interest law communities in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, Russia and Central Asia through publications, electronic resources, meetings and capacity-building programs. PILI is supported by the Ford Foundation, the Open Society Institute-New York and the Soros network of foundations, including COLPI.

The Public Interest Law Fellows Program is one of PILI's core activities. In the first semester of the program, Public Interest Law Fellows participate in a non-degree program in which they audit 3 to 5 courses at Columbia Law School, including a seminar entitled "Applied Law Reform In Eastern Europe," which is taught by Edwin Rekosh, Director of the Public Interest Law Initiative. This seminar - which pairs Fellows with a select group of full-time Columbia students - provides a practical-oriented overview of law reform issues confronting the legal systems of Central and Eastern Europe from an interdisciplinary perspective, with an emphasis on democracy-building, civil society, and enhancing the promotion and protection of human rights. Each Fellow will be expected to propose a project relating to human rights or other public interest law issues, which will be the subject of research and collaboration by teams formed with other students in the seminar. The project should be related to the needs and priorities of the applicant's nominating NGO, but may change over the course of the semester based on the input of other students in the seminar. Ideally, the result of the seminar will be a project plan that can be further modified during the remainder of the year to fit the particular needs of the NGO.

In the spring and early summer, Fellows participate in two three-month internships at human rights, legal services, or other public interest law organizations in the New York area. To the extent possible, internships will be selected according to Fellows' particular interests in the area of human rights and public interest law. Fellows will be expected to arrive in early August in order to participate in "US Legal Methods and Problems," an intensive course that starts prior to other classes and provides an academic orientation for lawyers from civil law countries.

More information about the Public Interest Law Initiative can be found on the Internet at: http://www.pili.org.
More information about Columbia Law School can be found at: http://www.law.columbia.edu.

Application Procedure

An application form is attached. Applicants must include a nominating letter from an NGO from the region describing the need for having a lawyer working in the organization and contractually committing to COLPI/OSI-Budapest to hire the applicant for at least one year after he/she returns from the twelve-month training program in the US. The nomination letter should also indicate a monthly salary rate that will be offered to the applicant by the NGO in the event that he or she is selected for the program (which would be provided to the NGO by COLPI in the form of a grant). In addition, the applicant should provide at least one additional recommendation. Applicants should also identify a project that he or she would like to design during the first semester of the program. Ideas of projects with practical significance to the nominating NGO, such as drafting a model law or designing a litigation strategy, are encouraged. Information on the profile of the recommending NGO and supplemental recommendations are also welcome.

The DEADLINE for receiving applications at COLPI is March 24, 2000.

For more information and application forms, please contact Eszter Filippinyi, Program Coordinator, COLPI, Nador u. 11, Budapest 1051, tel: 361 327-3102; fax: 361 327 3103; e-mail: filippinyi@osi.hu or Zaza Namoradze, Deputy Director, COLPI, (the same mailing address), e-mail: namoradz@osi.hu.

More information about COLPI and the application forms can also be found n the Internet: http://www.osi.hu/colpi/.

APPLICATION FORM FOR THE HUMAN RIGHTS AND PUBLIC INTEREST LAW FELLOWS PROGRAMS
(Please type or write in bold capitals)

I. Personal Information
Name (Last Name, First Name):
Date and Place of birth:
Marital Status:
Sex:
Number of Children:
Citizenship:
Address (which should be used for your mail):
TELEPHONE:
TELEFAX:
Email Address:

II. Languages
Please note level (elementary intermediate good advanced) and provide proof, including TOEFL score, if possible

English:
Spoken:
Reading:
Written:

Other Languages:
Spoken:
Reading:
Written:

III. Employment
Present place of employment:
Address:
Telephone/Telefax/e-mail:
Name of immediate supervisor:
Position:
Date of Membership in Your Country's Bar Association:

IV. Placement Preference
Please, indicate below by crossing the appropriate box for which program you would like to be considered. If you would like to be considered for more than one program, then indicate your preference by putting number 1to the first option and a number 2 to the other.

[  ]	Human Rights Fellows Program at Washington College of Law
[  ]	Columbia Public Interest Law Fellows Program
[  ]	Columbia Public Interest Law Fellows Program with a specialization in Women's Rights Advocacy
[  ]	Columbia Public Interest Law Fellows Program with a specialization in Disability Rights Advocacy

V. Attachments

Please attach to your application:

1.	Your Curriculum Vitae.
2.	Copy of your law school transcript.
3.	Nomination letter from an NGO from the Region describing the needs for having a lawyer working in this organization and contractually committing to COLPI to hire you for at least one year after you return from the US program. The nomination letter should indicate a salary rate that is determined by the NGO for similar work. Information on the profile of the nominating NGO including a statement of what will be expected of you upon your return.
4.	At least one letter of recommendation.
5.	If applicable, a copy of your own country's Bar Association membership, or the date scheduled for your examination.
6.	A statement of your interest or relevant previous experiences in the human rights advocacy activities.
7.	Research or project ideas which you would like to work on during the first semester of the program.

The application form should be received by COLPI* March 24, 2000.

* Eszter Filippinyi
Program Coordinator
Constitutional and Legal Policy Institute
1051 Budapest, N Аdor u. 11.
Hungary

Tel.: (36-1) 327-3102
Fax: (36-1) 327-3103
E-mail: filippinyi@osi.hu
Internet: http://www.osi.hu/colpi/

I hereby certify that to the best of my knowledge, all the information included in this application is correct.

Signature Date

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