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Manhattan Legal Services (MLS) is seeking law students to sponsor for post-graduate legal fellowships such as Skadden and law school funded fellowships to commence in fall 2025.Our Organization:
MLS is a part of Legal Services NYC, the largest provider of free civil legal services for low-income people in the country. We are an anti-racist, anti-poverty social justice law office, dedicated to providing high quality legal services in the areas of housing, family law, public benefits, Social Security income, economic justice, education, and immigration, with special units serving particular vulnerable populations such as LGBTQ+ and Veterans. We are committed to working in partnership with community-based organizations in the low-income communities we serve to address the causes of poverty and systemic oppression.
MLS seeks proposals to provide direct legal services as well as to address systemic causes of social, racial and economic injustice. We are open to any proposal, but some ideas for fellowship proposals include:
- Proposal designed to expand access to legal services in Black immigrant communities. Working with Black immigrant communities in New York City to expand their access to legal services, public benefits, education, and healthcare. Working more specifically in expanding language access, improving cultural competency of services providers, and providing legal representation for individuals in these communities.
- Proposals designed to enforce and advance the rights of historically marginalized and vulnerable low-wage workers, including but not limited to domestic workers. Projects can include direct representation, community outreach, community education, and policy advocacy to benefit low-wage workers.
- Proposals designed to address systemic racism in banking and curb unfair and abusive practices of lenders, creditors, and debt collectors. Projects can include direct representation, community education, and policy advocacy to advance consumer rights.
- Proposals designed to reintegrate veterans, in particular BIPOC veterans, into civilian life and assist veterans with income and housing security. Projects can include direct representation, community education and outreach, clinic work, and impact policy work in civil legal areas that affect veterans in New York City. These issues include, but not limited to, housing, immigration, social security benefits, veteran benefits. public benefits, and family law. Services will be provided in a culturally sensitive manner for veterans who are often an insular population.
- Proposals designed to address barriers preventing marginalized student groups from obtaining special education services and the significantly disproportionate number of BIPOC students in disciplinary proceedings. The proposal may also seek to address the unmet needs of diverse students (BIPOC, LEP and LGBTQ+) for culturally sensitive mental health services and counseling to avoid disciplinary proceedings. Additionally, a key component of proposals will be collaborations with community groups on educational policy issues such as funding, the segregation of NYC schools and the presence of police in the schools.
