The mission of the Independence Foundation is to build leadership, provide services, and encourage systems and cultural change through the support of organizations in the fields of healthcare, human services, legal aid, and the arts.
The Foundation invests in people and programs that protect, improve and enrich the life experiences of residents of Philadelphia and its surrounding Pennsylvania counties, with a focus on the vulnerable and excluded.
Its work is based on the belief that a region that promotes physical well-being, provides equal access to justice and services, and appreciates the value of the arts will thrive for generations to come.
About Public Interest Law Fellowship
In 1996, Independence Foundation established the Public Interest Law Fellowships.
Through the fellowship program, the Foundation funds the compensation and employment benefits for accomplished young lawyers who have decided to direct their considerable talents to public interest service.
Role and Responsibilities of the Fellow
Fellows work for a sponsoring legal services organization serving the disadvantaged whose work has been funded previously by Independence Foundation.
The Foundation requires that the focus of all Fellowship work be on the direct representation of disadvantaged clients. The Foundation also assists the Fellows in repayment of their often substantial educational loans.
Who can apply for the Public Interest Law Fellowship?
Law school graduates, outgoing judicial law clerks and attorneys who are currently employed and who want to work in the public interest for a nonprofit legal services organization
The application must be made within five years of law school graduation.
Salary/Perks
Fellowship will provide the first-year Fellow with an annual salary in the amount of $60,000 (USD), plus the cost of health care benefits, disability insurance and employer’s withholding taxes as compensation for full-time employment.
Fellows who owe student loans an amount equal to the amount due and payable on such loans during the term of the Fellowship up to a maximum amount of $10,000 (USD) in each Fellowship year.
Duration
The duration of a Fellowship is one year.
Fellowships may be renewed for one additional year if requested by the Fellow and approved by the Foundation Board of Directors and the sponsoring organization.
For more information click "LINK TO ORIGINAL" below.