2005 Takasugi Fellowship Applications
February 03, 2005In 1999, the legal community, including former externs and law clerks of the honorable Robert M. Takasugi, Senior Federal Judge in the Central District of California, proudly created the Robert M. Takasugi Public Interest Fellowship. The Fellowship was created to honor Judge Takasugi and to perpetuate his influence, independence, courage, vision of equal justice, and demand that women and minorities be accorded equal treatment. While the honorable tradition of attorneys using the law for the public interest in our communities is fading as taking a nobler path is more financially challenging than ever before, the Robert M. Takasugi Public Interest Fellowship works to ensure that dedicated law students pursue careers in public interest law.
From its inception, the Fellowship has selected law students from across the nation and funded their summer legal work for the public interest in the San Francisco Bay Area and the Greater Los Angeles Metropolitan Area. The fellows have worked in exciting and challenging capacities in forward-thinking organizations, including: the Asian Law Caucus; the Lawyer’s Committee for Civil Rights; the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles; and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. The Fellowship has awarded almost $50,000 in public interest funding to date.
The Fellowship will continue to award fellowships to law students for their summer legal work for the public interest. However, the Fellowship believes that directly funding the work of individuals after their matriculation from law school will further aid in the Fellowship’s mission of encouraging dedicated lawyers to pursue public interest careers. To this end, the Fellowship will award its first ever post-graduate fellowship in 2005.
Applications must be postmarked by March 18, 2005, to be considered for a 2005 summer law student fellowship or a 2005 post-graduate fellowship. For application or other information and to learn more about Judge Takasugi, please visit www.takasugifellowship.com
