Fellowships

Impact for Equity’s fellowship programs have hosted dozens of fellows over several decades. Our fellows work individually and collaboratively, making critical contributions to our advocacy for civil rights and justice. Fellows become a part of our Impact for Equity staff, working alongside our attorneys and policy analysts to make meaningful contributions to our work.

Impact for Equity hires a recent law or policy school (graduate level) graduate each year to become a Polikoff-Gautreaux Fellow for a two-year term beginning the following fall after selection. Fellows must be within 5 years of graduation at Fellowship start. Polikoff-Gautreaux fellows possess a commitment to racial and social justice, creativity, and leadership ability, and they work both independently and within a team on multiple projects of varying complexity.

Impact for Equity is not currently accepting applications for Polikoff-Gautreaux Fellowships. Please check back in Spring 2027 for details and information on how to apply for future opportunities!

Do you want Impact for Equity to host your Equal Justice Works Fellowship application?

Will you be a 3L, recent law grad, or judicial clerk in the coming year? If so, consider a post-graduate fellowship with us.

Impact for Equity hosts law and policy fellows who work within one of our two program areas—Criminal Legal System and Housing—partnering with our legal and policy staff to help make an impact on justice.

The work of our fellows varies widely and could include projects such as:

• Identifying and analyzing legal and policy issues;
• Analyzing Data;
• Writing memoranda, briefs, policy papers, and educational materials;
• Facilitating meetings and events;
• Developing legal and policy strategies;
• Collaborating with Impact for Equity staff coalition partners, community members, and government stakeholders to advance systemic legal and policy changes;  

Fellowship Requirements

3L law students, recent grads, and judicial clerks are invited to apply for fellowships hosted by Impact for Equity.

At a minimum, all applicants should possess:

• A demonstrated commitment to civil rights and social justice;
• Strong research and writing abilities, along with court advocacy skills;
• Ability to work collaboratively in a team and in partnership with community stakeholders;
• Self-motivation and comfort with handling multiple projects or assignments at a time;
• Personal or professional experience with, or another demonstrated commitment to, the communities we serve; we encourage applicants to share relevant experience in their cover letter;
• An Illinois law license, or the ability to become licensed in Illinois, or completion of law school by the time the fellowship begins;
• An ability to commute to Impact for Equity’s office in downtown Chicago at least two days a week, as our office operates on a hybrid schedule.

How to Apply

To apply, submit the following to :

• Your resume and a cover letter highlighting your interest and experience in civil rights and social justice, your interest in a particular program area and why, and describing any ideas for a fellowship proposal. (It is not necessary to have a fully developed proposal at this stage. We will assist applicants in completing their proposals)
• A brief legal writing sample (2–4 pages).
• Your law school transcript.
• Contact information for two professional references.

Please put “Fellowship Application” in the subject line of your email. We review applications on a rolling basis, so we encourage candidates to apply as soon as possible.

Please note that Impact for Equity may decide to sponsor more than one individual for a given fellowship opportunity, and that a fellowship award is not a guarantee of employment with Impact for Equity after the fellowship ends. Impact for Equity is also interested in supporting applications for other fellowship opportunities; if you’re interested in applying for a different fellowship with Impact for Equity as your host organization, please follow the steps above.

Impact for Equity sponsors applicants for legal, post-graduate fellowships from the Skadden Fellowship Foundation. Skadden requires that fellowship candidates develop projects with host organizations before applying. Impact for Equity will support only one Skadden Fellowship application per year.

Impact for Equity is not currently accepting applications for Skadden Fellowships. Please check back in Spring 2027 for details and information on how to apply for future opportunities!

Impact for Equity welcomes the opportunity to host law or graduate students through school-funded fellowships, offering them a dynamic and supportive environment to engage in impactful work. Fellows will have the chance to collaborate on cutting-edge legal and policy initiatives, conduct in-depth research, and contribute to projects that advance our mission.

Impact for Equity is currently at capacity on Fellowships. Please check back in Spring 2027 for details and information on how to apply for future opportunities!