Miami Law Legal Corps

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The University of Miami School of Law Legal Corps, a postgraduate fellowship program, places recent law graduates in public sector organizations nationwide. Economic conditions have decreased funding for public sector agencies while the demand for legal services has dramatically increased. In response, Legal Corps seeks to fill the gaps at understaffed public agencies by providing them with prepared, skilled, and diverse attorneys.

Legal Corps Specifics

1. Who Can Apply for a Legal Corps Fellowship?

Miami Law J.D. graduates must submit an application for a Legal Corps Fellowship by the deadline set forth by Legal Corps. Legal Corps determines fellowship application deadlines on a class by class basis and will announce all applicable deadlines in advance of said deadline. As a prerequisite to applying, students must be unemployed upon graduation and must not have received or accepted any offers for long-term employment (defined as employment with a term of one year or more) at the time of graduation. In addition, as part of the application process, students must certify in writing that they have conducted a thorough employment search and that they have exhausted all available employment resources prior to applying for a Legal Corps Fellowship. Students are required to supplement the employment search certification on a monthly basis, until such time as the fellowships commence.

A student's fellowship offer is conditioned upon:

• The student's successful completion of a bar examination after the first attempt;
• The student's admission to a state bar or, alternatively, admission pending "character and fitness" results and the ability to be sworn into a state bar association in the immediate future; and
• The student's ability to secure an acceptable fellowship placement

In the event that a student fails the bar examination after the first attempt, is not admitted to a state bar or cannot secure an acceptable placement, Miami Law will revoke the student's fellowship offer.

Legal Corps reserves the right to make the final determination concerning the student's acceptance into Legal Corps and commencement date of the fellowship based upon issues regarding employment status and employment certification responses, bar examination status, final "character and fitness" results and other selection criteria as defined herein.

All Legal Corps Fellowships are subject to final approval by the Miami Law.

2. What is the Duration of the Legal Corps Fellowship?

The duration of the Legal Corps fellowship shall not exceed a term of six months. If a Legal Corps Fellow secures other employment during the term of the fellowship, the Fellow shall terminate the fellowship prior to the expiration of the term after providing timely and appropriate notice and consulting with Legal Corps and with the Fellow's host organization. Fellows must participate in an exit interview at the conclusion of the fellowship. Fellows may not re-enlist in Legal Corps once the fellowship has or is terminated.

3. What Placement Opportunities are Available to Legal Corps Fellows?

Placement opportunities are available at public interest organizations, judicial chambers, and government agencies nationwide. Please refer to the Legal Corps Host Organizations Catalog for a current listing of placement opportunities and application materials required by each host organization. With Legal Corps' prior approval, selected applicants may secure placement opportunities with eligible host organizations not included in the Legal Corps Hosts Organizations Catalog.

4. What Benefits are available to Legal Corps Fellows?

Far-reaching and varied placements within the government, judicial, and public interest sectors, including numerous participating host organizations with several hundred placements from which Fellows may choose;

• Dynamic opportunities for Fellows to use their legal skills in the public sector, while receiving training and experience by working on important substantive legal issues;
• Monthly fellowship stipends of $2,500 throughout the Fellowship term;
• Professional development workshops for which Fellows receive up to 20 hours of continuing legal education credits; and
• Career development assistance in furthering the Fellows' career goals.

5. Does the Legal Corps Fellowship Offer Health, Retirement or Other Similar Benefits?

Legal Corps Fellowships do not offer health, retirement, or other benefits. For health insurance options, graduates should consider the following:

• If enrolled in the American Bar Association (ABA) Law Student Injury and Sickness Plan for three continuous months prior to graduation, contacting the provider to inquire about continuing the policy following graduation;
• Researching Short Term Medical Options available to University of Miami Alumni Association or ABA members; and
• Contacting your undergraduate alumni association and state bar(s) where you are licensed to inquire about insurance benefits offered through such organizations.

6. What are the Requirements of the Legal Corps Fellowship?

• Fellows must satisfactorily comply with the requirements set forth in the Legal Corps Handbook.
• Fellows must meet the host organization's expectations, including fulfilling any and all responsibilities assigned to Fellows by the host organizations in a professional manner.
• Fellows must work on a full-time basis during the term of their fellowships. The meaning of full-time work will be defined by the Fellows' host organizations. Fellows will perform their work onsite at the offices of the host organizations. Fellows are not permitted to work from home.
• Fellows are expected not to: (a) knowingly make a false statement of material fact; (b) fail to disclose a fact necessary to correct an error or misunderstanding known by the Fellow to have arisen either before or during the Fellowship; and (c) commit an act that adversely reflects on the Fellows' fitness to practice law. Fellows who commit such acts shall be removed from Legal Corps.
• Fellows must submit Monthly Time Certifications signed by the Fellows and their supervising attorneys. Fellows must also submit a Bi-Monthly Evaluation Report. During months when written reports are not due, Fellows will participate in a bi-monthly Skype or telephone conference with Legal Corps. Legal Corps will contact the Fellows to schedule the conference.

7. How Do Graduates Apply for a Legal Corps Fellowship?

Candidates interested in applying to Legal Corps must review and follow the instructions contained in the Legal Corps Handbook. Class of 2013 Miami Law J.D. Graduates see the Class of 2013 Legal Corps Handbook and Application.

8. Who can Register as a Legal Corps Host Organization?

Government agencies, judicial chambers, and 501(c)3 tax-exempt organizations may contact Legal Corps for more information on how to register as a host organization. Click here for more information on becoming a Legal Corps Host Organization.