Applications are invited for Human Rights Watch fellowships to begin in September 2016. There are two types of fellowships available i.e. unrestricted fellowship (Alan R. and Barbara D. Finberg Fellowship) open to any candidate, from any institution, domestic or foreign and restricted fellowship (NYU Fellowship for 2016 J.D. graduates of New York University School of Law and Sandler Fellowship for recent J.D. graduates of Columbia Law School only). Fellows typically work full-time in Human Rights Watch’s New York or Washington, D.C. office or in some instances in another location. The application deadline is October 8, 2015.

Study Subject(s): Fellowship is awarded in international human rights. Fellows monitor human rights developments in various countries, conduct on-site investigations, draft reports on human rights conditions and engage in advocacy and media outreach aimed at publicizing and curtailing human rights violations.
Course Level: It is a one year fellowship program. Fellows typically work full-time in Human Rights Watch’s New York or Washington, D.C. office or in some instances in another location.
Scholarship Provider: Human Rights Watch (HRW)
Scholarship can be taken at: USA

Eligibility:
-Applicants must demonstrate a strong background in international human rights and be committed to building a career in human rights. Research experience, including experience conducting interviews, ideally in the context of human rights research, is required. Field experience in human rights work is strongly desirable. Applicants must have exceptional analytic skills and excellent oral and written communication skills in English. Proficiency in one language in addition to English is strongly desired as is familiarity with countries or regions where serious human rights violations occur.
-Applicants should be highly motivated and well-organized; able to work quickly and well under pressure, both independently and as a member of a team; able to juggle multiple tasks; and able to meet tight deadlines. The fellowship year will require creativity, initiative, perseverance, and flexibility while maintaining HRW’s high methodological standards.
-For the Sandler Fellowship, prospective fellows must be recent law graduates. (LL.M.s are not eligible.)
-For the NYU Fellowship, prospective fellows must be 2016 law graduates (LL.M.s are not eligible) or recent J.D. graduates who would begin the fellowship immediately upon completion of a judicial clerkship.
-For the Finberg Fellowship, applicants must be graduates of law, journalism, international relations or other relevant studies at the Master’s level. LL.M.s are also eligible. Graduates with LL.B. degrees or advanced degrees in other relevant disciplines may also be considered.

Scholarship Open for Students of Following Countries: Citizens of all nationalities are encouraged to apply provided the meets the other criteria like NYU Fellowship is for 2016 J.D. graduates of New York University School of Law and Sandler Fellowship is available for recent J.D. graduates of Columbia Law School only.

Scholarship Description: Fellows typically works full-time in Human Rights Watch’s New York or Washington, D.C. office or in some instances in another location. The NYU, Sandler, and Finberg Fellows work full-time for one year with Human Rights Watch. Fellows monitor human rights developments in various countries, conduct on-site investigations, draft reports on human rights conditions, and engage in advocacy and media outreach aimed at publicizing and curtailing human rights violations. Past fellows have conducted research and advocacy on numerous different issues in countries all over the world. Human Rights Watch (“HRW”) awards following types of fellowships:
-Alan R. and Barbara D. Finberg Fellowship (Unrestricted Fellowships): Established in memory of Alan R. and Barbara D. Finberg, early supporters of Human Rights Watch (“HRW”), this fellowship is open to recent graduates (at the Master’s level) in the fields of law, journalism, international relations, or other relevant studies. Graduates with LL.B. degrees or advanced degrees in other relevant disciplines may also be considered.
Restricted Fellowships
-NYU School of Law Fellowship at HRW (Restricted Fellowships): This fellowship is open to 2016 J.D. graduates of New York University School of Law and recent J.D. graduates who would begin the fellowship immediately upon completion of a judicial clerkship.
-Leonard H. Sandler Fellowship (Restricted Fellowships): Established in memory of Judge Leonard H. Sandler, a 1950 Columbia Law graduate with a lifelong commitment to civil rights and liberties, this fellowship is open to recent J.D. graduates of Columbia Law School only.

Number of award(s): Human Rights Watch (“HRW”) awards three fellowships i.e. Alan R. and Barbara D. Finberg Fellowship; Leonard H. Sandler Fellowship and NYU School of Law Fellowship to begin in September 2016.

Duration of award(s): The fellowships are awarded for a period of one year.

What does it cover? The salary for 2016-2017 fellows is US$55,000, plus excellent employer-paid benefits.

Selection Criteria: The strongest applicants for the Human Rights Watch fellowships have direct experience interviewing victims of human rights abuses. All applicants must be able to demonstrate some kind of interviewing experience. Interviewing experience may take different forms, including: interviewing victims of human rights abuses for human rights reporting; interviewing for news articles; interviewing clients through legal aid clinics or similar settings; conducting interviews as part of refugee status determination; conducting interview-based academic research or other research, etc.

Notification: Interviews will be held in late November to mid-December for the Finberg, Sandler, and NYU Fellowships, and final decisions will be announced in early 2016.

How to Apply: Applications should be sent by e-mail, under single cover (in one email) and preferably as one PDF file (or, at a minimum, as separate PDF files), to fellowship-at-hrw.org with the name of the fellowship in the subject line. Applicants are responsible for compiling complete application packets which must include the following:
-cover letter
-resume
-two letters of recommendation
-an unedited, unpublished writing sample (no legal briefs, please)
-an official law or graduate school transcript (applicants in one-year graduate programs should supply an undergraduate transcript with a list of their graduate school courses).

Scholarship Application Deadline: The application deadline is October 8, 2015.

Further Official Scholarship Information and Application