Post Graduate Fellowship

HLA is a dynamic public interest law firm founded in 1996. Throughout our history we have been at the forefront of efforts to utilize legal advocacy to break down barriers to health care for the most vulnerable, such as those with chronic illness or disabilities, children, elders, immigrants, transgender individuals and the uninsured. HLA makes health care more accessible through individual and class-wide legal representation, public policy reform advocacy and community outreach and education programs.

Our staff consists of experienced and newer attorneys and has hosted fellows from a variety of fellowship programs. Lawyers who have served fellowships at HLA have a strong record of obtaining further employment immediately after their fellowship, including with HLA in some instances. We ensure Fellows have ample professional development and networking opportunities.

 

Fellowship Description

HLA seeks a limited number of recent law school graduates to pursue project-based fellowships through Equal Justice Works or the Skadden Fellowship Program. These fellowship programs are designed to fund projects that will identify and serve unmet legal needs, while building on the resources and expertise of host organizations like HLA. Fellows may choose one of the projects described below or develop their own initiative that will combine their interests with HLA’s mission of fighting for health care justice for low-income residents of Massachusetts.

1. Multi-Lingual Immigrant Health Outreach Initiative

  • Project Summary: Expand HLA’s Immigrant Health Initiative by engaging in direct outreach, community education, and representation on behalf of Spanish and Portuguese-speaking residents of Massachusetts.
  • Unmet Legal Need: Recent federal policy changes threatening immigrant communities have created a climate of fear and uncertainty and an increased need for legal advocacy by Spanish and Portuguese speaking attorneys. HLA seeks to expand its groundbreaking Immigrant Health Initiative by developing new capacity to provide legal services directly in Spanish and Portuguese. Help HLA combat rising disenrollment from health insurance and other barriers to health care in immigrant communities through advocacy, education and direct client representation
2. Immigrant Enrollment Medical/Legal Partnership
  • Project Summary: Develop medical/legal partnerships with institutional health care providers to facilitate immigrant enrollment in public health care programs at the point of service.
  • Unmet Legal Need: Immigrants encounter numerous barriers to health care including inadequate assistance in enrolling in public benefit programs when they seek medical services. While hospitals and other providers have the legal obligation to assist low-income individuals enroll in MassHealth, they often lack the expertise to navigate complex eligibility rules for different immigration statuses.
3. Protecting the Health of People with Disabilities
  • Project Summary: Represent consumers with disabilities who have been unjustly denied access to life- and health-sustaining in-home health services, advocate for policies to improve access to such services, and develop self-help guidance for families struggling to obtain in-home health services.
  • Unmet Legal Need: Some individuals with disabilities and complex health needs rely on in-home health services to enable them to continue living at home. These services, such as those provided by home health aides and personal care attendants, are covered under many Medicaid plans, but low-income consumers on Medicaid are regularly and unfairly denied access. As a result, these consumers are left to choose between unsafe and/or unhealthy living conditions or moving to an institution.

4. Mental Health Parity Project

  • Project Summary: Strengthen HLA’s Mental Health and Substance Use Parity Initiative by representing clients with behavioral health conditions who are denied equitable access to health care and advocating for legislative and regulatory policies that will advance mental health parity in the Commonwealth.
  • Unmet Legal Need: HLA has been working on these issues and expanding its reach for many years, but there is still inequitable access to behavioral health care in Massachusetts. Laws and regulations relating to mental health parity are often vague and unenforced. In addition to directly representing individuals with mental health issues to ensure that they receive quality health care, the project seeks to engage in legislative advocacy to create system change around behavioral health care in the Commonwealth.

 

Qualifications 

Applicants must have a strong commitment to public interest law. We will also look for candidates who have health care-related work experience and/or who have completed significant health care-related coursework. Pursuant to the requirements of these fellowship programs, applicants must be willing to take the July bar exam, if not already licensed.

 

Application Process  

Applicants are encouraged to reach out to HLA to discuss potential project ideas in advance and to apply to more than one fellowship program. The details for applying to each fellowship program are below:

 

 

EQUAL JUSTICE WORKS FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM

The goals of the Equal Justice Works Fellowship Program are to serve under-represented communities; create new public interest law positions; select a diverse group of highly qualified fellows; and develop future leaders in public interest law.

Terms:  Salary provided for two full years, loan repayment assistance, national training programs; fringe benefits to be paid by HLA.

Eligibility: Must be a third-year law student, a recent graduate from an Equal Justice Works law school or an experienced attorney who is committed to public interest law. Please check the website: www.equaljusticeworks.org for a list of current law school members.

Application procedure: The application and instructions are available online at www.equaljusticeworks.org. In addition to submitting an application and other related information, applicants should develop, in conjunction with HLA, a new project to benefit under-represented communities. Applications must be submitted online through the Equal Justice Works website at www.equaljusticeworks.org. Hard copies or email copies of the application will not be accepted.

 

Application and Selection Timetable:

Application opens online:

June 20, 2019

HLA deadline:

August 23, 2019

EJW Application deadline:

September 20, 2019

Interviews Begin for Selected Candidates

November 2019*

Interviews continued; fellowships are offered on a rolling basis

December 2019 - April 2020*

Fellows commence work:

September 2020*

*date to be determined

Interested individuals must submit a cover letter and resume to Justin Lowe by email at jlowe@hla-inc.org. Please include in your cover letter a proposed project and indicate your area of interest. For more information on how to apply, contact Mr. Lowe, at (617) 275-2981. 

For more information on the EJW Fellowship Program please go to www.equaljusticeworks.org

 

SKADDEN FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM

The goal of the Skadden Fellowship Program is to provide support to 2020 law school graduates and outgoing judicial law clerks who want to work at an organization that provides civil legal services to the poor, including the homeless, the elderly, the disabled, or those deprived of their civil or human rights.

Terms:  Salary and fringe benefits provided for two full years.
 
Eligibility: 2020 law school graduates or outgoing law clerks who are not receiving any other fellowship or prize monies for the Skadden Fellowship duration are eligible. The worthiness of the proposed project's goals as well as the applicant's competency, character, and commitment will be considered by the grant making panel.

Application procedure: Applicants should submit an application, a proposed project, and additional information in conjunction with HLA, the sponsoring organization. Applications can be found online at www.skaddenfellowships.org.


Application and Selection Timetable:

HLA deadline:    

August 23, 2019

Application deadline: 

September 16, 2019

Finalists notified:

November 15, 2019

Fellows commence work:

September 2020

Interested individuals must submit a cover letter and resume to Justin Lowe by email at jlowe@hla-inc.org. Please include in your cover letter a proposed project and indicate your area of interest. For more information on how to apply, contact Mr. Lowe, at (617) 275-2981. 
    
For more information on the Skadden Fellowship Program, please go to www.skaddenfellowships.org

Health Law Advocates is an AA/EO Employer. People of color, LGBTQ identified people, gender nonconforming people, individuals with disabilities, veterans and people who speak a language in addition to English are encouraged to apply.