Congratulations to the Newest Class of Skadden Fellows!
Right now a heated debate is raging in last night's open comment thread. The subject: public interest law, and the people who practice it. The debate is aptly summarized by this comment:
This comment thread is a microcosm of the unhappy lawyers out there. The big firm lawyers comfort themselves by telling themselves that public interest lawyers are incompetent, self-righteous, don't make enough money, and sit around smoking pot and complaining about how little respect they get.The public interest lawyers comfort themselves by telling themselves that big firm lawyers are egotistical, immoral, don't do real work, and have sacrificed "real life" for money on the assumption that either they can just purchase love, friends and happiness, or that cocaine is an acceptable substitute.
For those of you who do follow public interest, here's some important news: announcement of the 2007 Skadden Fellows!!!
These extremely prestigious fellowships, funded by Skadden Arps, are awarded to 25 outstanding individuals each year (selected from hundreds of applicants). The fellows spend one year -- or two, if renewed -- working on a project of their own design, at public interest organizations around the country. For more details, plus the history of the program, see here.
Skadden fellows don't make a ton; the class of 2006 fellows earned a salary of $46,000. As one ATL correspondent bitterly notes, "They will make almost as much per year as those stupid third-year associates will get as a 'bonus.'" But then again, from the perspective of the lucky organizations who get the help of fully-funded fellows, it's found money.
The list of 2007 fellows is available here. One of the new fellows is Georgetown Law 3L Miriam Lederer (pictured at right), whom we had the pleasure of meeting at the recent Breyer-Fried event. A tipster described Miriam as a "raven-haired beauty," and we concur in that assessment.
Congratulations, Skadden Fellows!
List of 2007 Skadden Fellows [Skadden Fellowship Foundation]
About the Foundation [Skadden Fellowship Foundation]
Comments
This year's Skadden Fellows: Harvard led the way with 6 fellows, and NYU was a close second with 5 fellow. Stanford and Brooklyn had 2 each. No Yalies this year, which is surprising.
Last year's Skadden Fellows: HLS had 9, NYU had 4, Columbia had 3, Yale and Stanford had 2 each.
Posted by: Public Interest Law Groupie | December 12, 2006 10:30 PM
Is the lack of Yalies a confirmation that the CDO here is really behind the ball in terms of helping public-interest minded students?
Posted by: anonymous yalie | December 13, 2006 03:45 AM
"Bonusmania" is overshadowing big news from the public interest world: the Skadden Fellowships. These are like the Supreme Court clerkships of the public interest world. Congrats to all the 2007 fellows!
Posted by: Non-Firm Lawyer | December 13, 2006 12:34 PM
not so much "supreme court clerkships", as handouts -- more like a scholarship to community college.
Posted by: public interest is for sissies | December 13, 2006 03:35 PM
actually, supreme court clerkships are the supreme court clerkships of the public interest world.
Posted by: anonymous | December 14, 2006 02:38 PM
You can do a Skadden fellowship after your clerkship (and many Skadden fellows have).
Posted by: Anonymous | December 14, 2006 02:39 PM