Leadership and Advocacy for Women in Africa Fellowship Program

The LAWA Program starts with the Foundations of American Law, followed by a thesis writing course. From late August through May, the LAWA Fellows earn a Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree at Georgetown, emphasizing international women’s human rights, and complete a major graduate thesis.

Fellows also participate in professional development seminars and networking events with recent U.S. law school graduates who are working in the field of women’s rights. After graduation, the LAWA Fellows have the option to complete an internship, but not every Fellow finds an appropriate internship placement or is selected by an organization to intern.

Funding Information

• There is a fellowship available from AAUW for $20,000-$50,000.

Eligibility Criteria

• You must be a women’s human rights lawyer from Africa in order to be considered. You must hold an LL.B. or other law degree. A preference is given to candidates who:
  • are currently living and working in Africa
  • do not already have a Masters’ Degree
• The strongest applicants tend to be about five to ten years out of law school, but those with less or more experience will be considered.
• All people committed to women’s rights are strongly encouraged to apply, regardless of gender identity.
• As a requirement of participation in the LAWA Program, all applicants must commit to return home to their own countries upon completion of the Fellowship, and to use their best professional efforts to advance women’s human rights throughout their careers.
• You must have strong English language skills, both written and oral. Language problems have been the primary barrier to success for LAWA Fellows.

Ineligibility Criteria

• Candidates with no work experience applying directly from an LL.B. degree or other law school will not be considered.

Application Requirements

• Current Resume or CV, indicating:
  • your employment history, including both paid and volunteer positions, including the name of your employer, location of your employment (city, country), dates of your employment (start and end dates), and description of your work for each position;
  • your education from high school to the present, including the name and location (city, country) of the institution, dates attended (including date of graduation), degree awarded, grade point average or your class rank and number of students, and your participation in any extracurricular activities;
  • titles of any published materials (articles, books, reports, etc.) or significant research papers;
  • any special honors, awards, scholarships, or fellowships;
  • any memberships in organizations or community activities in which you have been involved, including any leadership roles.

For more information, visit Georgetown Law.