What is the D’Alemberte-Ellis Fellowship?
The D’Alemberte-Ellis Fellowship benefits students who have a significant interest in human rights. This opportunity provides FSU Law students supplemental financial support for life-altering international practical experience in the human rights practice area.
Do I qualify to apply for the D’Alemberte-Ellis Fellowship?
Students are eligible to apply for placements beginning the summer after their 1L year. 3Ls qualify if they have at least one full spring or fall semester on campus after returning from the fellowship.
What is the goal of the program, and what are students expected to bring back with them?
The goal of the program is twofold: (1) to advance international human rights, and (2) for students to have a transformative experience that they will carry into their legal career, one that will strengthen their vocational determination and be an asset for future employment. Returning fellows are expected to help develop the program through their input and to share their experiences with future applicants.
What are the main requirements for the fellowship?
Identify unpaid/minimally paid full-time work in the human rights field, situated outside of the U.S. for a minimum of four weeks.
Where should I look to find opportunities?
Law-based work can be undertaken in NGOs, intergovernmental organizations, government offices, law firms with human rights cases, courts, charities, or other similar organizations. Students are encouraged to identify and seek out organizations/sites that resonate with their specific interests.
When should I start planning?
Begin planning well in advance. Applications are due each year by January 20 for placements the following summer.
When should I apply?
Each year the application opens on October 1 and closes on January 20 for placements the following summer. Applications are considered on a rolling basis for placements in the fall or spring semesters.
How do I apply?
Find the online application here.
What does the application require?
The application includes work placement details, one academic or professional reference, a resume, and a proposed budget. Applicants will also provide a written or video response to prompts about how the international experience will impact them and how international experiences foster human rights at home and globally.
Will anything be required of me after I complete my fellowship?
Fellows are expected to participate in post-fellowship sharing with law students and faculty, including meeting with the Selection Committee to provide insight into their international work experience. Fellows will also be encouraged to write an article about their experiences.
Who should be my reference?
Your reference should be someone who knows you well in either an academic or professional capacity, e.g., a teacher, lecturer, or employer.
When I send in my completed application, how will I know you received it?
When an application is submitted, you will be notified of receipt.
If I am selected for a fellowship interview, how should I prepare?
- Be yourself!
- Dress code: Dress professionally but in a manner that will make you feel comfortable.
- Try not to be nervous.
- Proposed Site Language Ability: The Selection Committee places emphasis on the feasibility of your proposal when evaluating each application, including the impact of language barriers in conducting your work.
- Note: interviews might be conducted, in whole or part, over Zoom.
What are FSU’s travel requirements?
FSU Travel Policy - Read before planning the fellowship.
Independent Student Travel Registration - Required for all students participating in the fellowship program.
How competitive is selection?
Selection is very competitive. The committee has high standards in selecting applicants. The goal is to ensure that selected individuals will perform work that has an impact on human rights in an underserved geographic area or human rights field. The likelihood that the placement will prepare a student for a career in international human rights, the quality of the placement site, and the quality of the student’s application are all taken into consideration.
How will I secure housing?
Working with the host entity, you will identify housing.
Where do I look for passport information?
FSU students, faculty, and staff are now able to apply for a U.S. passport and/or passport card directly through the International Programs office.
How do I secure a visa?
It is the student’s responsibility to contact the appropriate embassy or consulate for information regarding visas. Note that some countries require an in-person visit to a consulate to apply for a visa, which may add additional costs.
Country Information - Specific visa requirements for each country are available on the U.S. Department of State website.
Who should I contact for more information/what other resources are available to me?
Professor Darby Kerrigan Scott, dscott@law.fsu.edu
Dean Nancy Benavides, nbenavid@law.fsu.edu
Returning Home: Challenges & Solutions - Information to help students re-adjust to life back at Florida State University and Tallahassee following an international experience.
World Factbook
Currency Calculator
Lonely Planet Travel Information
When are recipients notified?
All students who have applied will be notified of the decision approximately 30 days after the deadline.
What should I do if my email, address, phone number, or mailing address changes?
If your contact information changes, please inform Dean Benavides and Professor Scott. Communication will be primarily conducted via email, so it is important to ensure that a current, working email address is always on file.
If I am awarded the fellowship, what happens next?
If you are chosen to receive the fellowship, you will need to do the following things to accept your award: send an email to Dean Benavides and Professor Scott within 30 days following notification indicating your acceptance of the award and providing written confirmation from the placement site regarding your acceptance and the terms of your internship. Students are then responsible for managing the logistics of their fellowship, such as booking flights, accommodations, etc.
How will family communicate with me while on the fellowship?
You should check if there’s an option of purchasing a SIM card in your fellowship location or contact your U.S. provider for data plans abroad. WhatsApp is also a popular international option for staying in touch over Wi-Fi.
What if something happens before the beginning of the fellowship and I can no longer participate?
If this occurs, please notify Dean Benavides and Professor Scott as soon as possible. If funds have been paid out for fellowship costs like housing or insurance, you will most likely be responsible for those funds lost.
Do I need to be fluent in the language of the location of the fellowship?
No. However, it helps if you’re able to speak a bit of the local language, so it’s in your best interest to learn a few key phrases in advance of your experience.
How are prescription medications handled?
It will be your responsibility to make sure you bring enough medication for the duration of your fellowship. Please remember some countries might not have the medication you prefer or need, and some countries may have restrictions on the type of medicine allowed to be brought into the country.
Does the human rights work have to be focused on purely legal issues, or can it be a non-legal form of human rights advocacy?
Human rights advocacy will most often have a strong legal component to it; thus, such work will be acceptable for the fellowship. However, advocacy with no nexus to the law (e.g., general human rights campaigns) would not meet the fellowship’s criteria.
Do U.S. territories like Puerto Rico qualify as locations for potential placement?
No.
May I do the fellowship in a developed country, e.g., in London with the International Bar Association?
No.
Can I do the fellowship in The Hague working for one of the international criminal tribunals?
No.
If I am an international student at FSU Law, may I use the fellowship to work in my home country?
No.
If I was born or lived previously in another country, may I use the fellowship to work in that country?
It depends. Students should have no significant ties to the country where they wish to undertake their fellowship. Whether a student has significant ties to a particular country is a fact-specific determination that will be made by the selection committee.
There is no guarantee regarding the specific number of fellowships that will be awarded or whether any fellowships will be awarded. Selections will be made based upon the quality of the applications received. It is anticipated that most fellowships will be awarded for summer placements, but applications for placements in the fall or spring semesters will also be considered on a rolling basis as noted above.