NACA Consumer Law 2-Year Fellowship Program
Jumpstart Your Career in Consumer Law: Be a NACA Inaugural Fellow and Make a Real Impact from Day One!
The Details:
The National Association of Consumer Advocates (NACA) is offering two 2-year consumer law fellowships to upcoming law school graduates who are expected to sit for the July 2025 Bar exam.
You can review a list of approved host organizations and projects here. We will also consider other NACA member host organization-private firm partnerships that an applicant identifies, subject to our approval.
During their fellowship, the new lawyer will be paid as an employee of a NACA Member legal services/public interest organization (“host organization”).
In the first year, the fellow will work as a consumer attorney at the host organization providing full representation to low-income clients. In the second year, the fellow will work with NACA member consumer law firms (in the same state) where they will continue to represent clients, grow their skills as consumer lawyers and learn the challenges and rewards of the practice of consumer law in a private law setting.
During their time in the program, the fellow will work with and be mentored by experienced public and private consumer attorneys and will receive free NACA membership, access to all our consumer law trainings and scholarships for NACA-NCLC in-person educational conferences.
Starting salary and benefits will be equal to the legal service program’s scale.
Application Process and Deadline:
Each applicant shall submit a resume, and a completed application form to fellowship@consumeradvocates.org and indicate which host organization(s) they would like to apply to. All completed applications must be received by January 1, 2025.
Upon receipt, NACA will provide the application to the appropriate organization(s) who will independently determine who they will interview. Upon completion of this interview process, the organization will submit a letter of support for their preferred applicant(s) to NACA for final decision making.
Additional details are available in this Fellowship FAQ document.
Evaluation Process:
Final applications will be reviewed by an evaluation committee of NACA members. Final decisions about fellowship recipients will be made by February 15, 2025. If you have any questions, please send an email to fellowship@consumeradvocates.org.
NACA 2025 Consumer Law Summer Fellowship
Program Details:
The National Association of Consumer Advocates (NACA) are seeking motivated law students to apply for our Summer Consumer Law Fellowship Program. Interested students should arrange an internship position, contingent on funding, with a Legal Services or Public Interest Organization’s consumer law unit or a private consumer law firm. Find NACA members expressly interested in hosting summer fellows here: Potential Hosts. Other NACA members who qualify as summer fellow hosts can be found here in our Find an Attorney Directory.
We are excited to provide funding to help law students discover rewarding and successful careers in consumer law. We hope that the fellowship will provide students with the opportunity to learn about consumer protection law and help them explore possible career opportunities in our field
Fellowship funding is available for both virtual and in-person internships. The Program will pay an $8,000 stipend to at least ten (10) 1L or 2L students who spend the summer months working for a NACA member non-profit or private law firm on consumer protection issues.
Summer Fellowship Requirements:
Fellows must have a demonstrated interest in public interest consumer law and in serving low- and moderate-income consumers. All law students are eligible, and first year law students are encouraged to apply. The fellow must commit to ten weeks between May 1 and September 1 to their chosen organization or law firm. Find NACA members expressly interested in hosting summer fellows here: Potential Hosts. Other NACA members who qualify as summer fellow hosts can be found here in our Find an Attorney Directory.
Organization Requirements:
Qualified organizations and law firms must be NACA members and must be willing to commit to having a consumer attorney supervise the fellow and provide them with meaningful activities including conducting intake, interacting with clients, attending hearings and mediations, conducting research, and drafting memoranda.
Application Process and Deadline:
Each applicant shall submit a resume, a completed application form, and a prospective organization or consumer law firm’s supporting statement. Please be specific about the issues on which you plan to focus and what you hope to accomplish. Please submit all application materials to fellowship@consumeradvocates.org by February 1, 2025.
Evaluation Process:
Applications will be reviewed by an evaluation committee of NACA members on a rolling basis. Final decisions about all fellowship recipients will be made by March 1, 2025. If you have any questions, please send an email to fellowship@consumeradvocates.org
Frequently Asked Questions are answered here.
