Click Here to Find Law Student Jobs on LawCrossing
The goal of the foundation is to give Fellows the freedom to pursue public interest work. Therefore, the Fellows create their own projects at public interest organizations with at least two lawyers on staff before they apply. Fellows are chosen in December of each year and begin their work in the following autumn.
Fellowships are awarded for a period of two years. Skadden provides each Fellow with a salary and pays all fringe benefits to which an employee of the sponsoring organization would be entitled. For those Fellows not covered by a law school low income protection plan, the firm will pay a Fellow's law school debt service for the tuition part of the loan for the duration of the fellowship. Including the 2010 class of Fellows, Skadden has awarded 591 law school graduates and judicial clerks fellowships, enabling them to work full-time for legal and advocacy organizations.
With over 2,000 attorneys, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Affiliates is one of the largest and highest-grossing law firms in the world.
Click Here to Find Summer Associate Jobs on LawCrossing
Former Skadden Fellow Steve Tobocman, now a second-term state representative in Michigan, decided to run for office in order to realize his goals of community development in inner-city Detroit, a decision Steve made because of his ''frustration with my inability to create better urban revitalization policies. Supporting community development and affordable housing and all those good things - I was convinced I could do that better by being an elected official than by being an advocate.''
His record as an advocate began long before his Fellowship. In 1995, Steve was an Americorps member in Southwest Detroit, where he first began working in community development. There he first encountered the Southwest Detroit Business Association (SDBA), a group dedicated to revitalizing retail in low-income neighborhoods. When Steve applied for his Skadden Fellowship, he took on the role of serving as the SDBA's general counsel.
During his Fellowship, Steve worked with the SDBA and a spinoff group, the Mexicantown Development Corporation. Despite the many initiatives the groups supported, and the legal work inherent in splitting them into two separate entities, Steve soon realized he needed more to do. With Skadden Fellowship program director Susan Butler Plum's blessing, Steve created Community Legal Resources, a way for various nonprofit organizations to connect with pro bono legal assistance from area law firms. ''I modeled it on programs that other Skadden Fellows work on throughout the country,'' Steve says.
''Having the Skadden Fellowship is probably the most important experience I've had in public service,'' he says. ''The Fellows themselves, and the relationships I made, are a primary source of inspiration that I draw upon as I continue my career.''
Click Here to View the 2015 LawCrossing Salary Survey of Lawyer Salaries in the Best Law Firms
