The University of California, Los Angeles School of Law (UCLA Law) and Sonke Gender Justice (Sonke) seek applicants for the 2015-2016 cycle of the UCLA Law – Sonke Health & Human Rights Fellowship. The fellowship programme provides specialised training to top graduates from South African law schools for careers as impact-oriented public interest lawyers in the areas of health, human rights, and gender equality.
The fellowship offers a full-tuition bursary to enroll in UCLA Law’s Master of Laws (LL.M.) programme (August 2015 – May 2016). Sonke will assist fellows to identify additional funds for living expenses, though there is no guarantee that these will be secured. Upon graduating from the LL.M programme, fellows have the opportunity to apply for a one–year fellowship placement (June 2016 – May 2017) with Sonke Gender Justice, based in our Cape Town office.
Fellows will enroll in UCLA Law’s David J. Epstein Program in Public Interest Law and Policy (PILP), and through its workshop and seminars, will meet PILP students and faculty and study the problem-solving challenges faced in public interest legal practice. Fellows will examine the principal skills and conceptual approaches useful to public interest lawyers in the PILP seminar “Problem Solving in the Public Interest”.
Through the course “Human Rights and Sexual Politics”, fellows will interact with students from medicine and public health, and conduct legal research and advocacy for Sonke. Each UCLA Law – Sonke Health & Human Rights Fellow will also elect other related courses and author a substantial writing assignment on a health, human rights, and/or gender equality-related legal issue facing South Africa.
To prepare for American legal study, fellows will take a summer introductory course, “American Law in a Global Context”, and will have access to ongoing tutoring through UCLA School of Law’s existing student support programs.
Upon completion of the LL.M. degree, each fellow will have the opportunity to apply for a year-long fellowship placement with Sonke in South Africa. If awarded, the fellow will undertake cutting-edge law and policy research and advocacy addressing gender inequality, human rights, and health.
Eligibility & Award Conditions:
The UCLA Law – Sonke Health & Human Rights Fellowship is open to legal professionals and law graduates holding an LL.B. degree classified second class (division one) or higher from a South African law school programs. Competitive applicants will also have a demonstrated commitment to health, human rights, or gender equality, and work or volunteer experience in this area.
As a condition of the award, fellows will be asked to certify that they will return to Africa upon completion of their LL.M. degree, and to commit to a public interest career that promotes health, human rights, and gender equality in the African region.
Application Instructions:
To apply for admission, prospective students must submit an online application to UCLA Law’s LL.M. program, including the separate supplemental application form for the UCLA Law – Sonke Health & Human Rights Fellowship, and supporting documentation.
Applications are due 1 March 2015.
Application instructions are available in full here: https://www.law.ucla.edu/llm-sjd/llm-program/sonke-health-and-human-rights-fellowship/ and here: /
Please direct questions about the fellowship to hhrfellowship@genderjustice.org.za, and questions about UCLA Law’s online LL.M. application procedure to llmapplicant@law.ucla.edu.
Project Partners & Leadership:
UCLA School of Law is the youngest top-ranked law school in the U.S. It has pioneered innovative specialisations and cutting-edge research centers, and has long been committed to skills training courses that offer students hands-on lawyering experience as they master legal doctrine.
Sonke Gender Justice is recognised internationally for its work that supports men and boys to promote gender equality, prevent gender-based violence, and reduce the spread and impact of HIV and AIDS across Africa.
