FFLA 2026 Civil Legal Aid Summer Fellowship Student Application

Law Student Application

This application closes at 11:45 p.m. on Saturday, October 31, 2026.

Fellowship Overview

An essential component of FFLA’s mission is to promote service to the public by members of the legal profession by making public service an integral component of the law school experience. The Civil Legal Aid Summer Fellowship Program is designed to provide students a unique opportunity to gain meaningful legal experience while also helping low-income Floridians meet their civil legal needs. Students work at a Florida non-profit legal aid organization for a 10-week full-time paid summer fellowship. The organization and the summer fellow are matched using the preferences in their applications.

FFLA, also known as The Florida Bar Foundation, is Florida's IOTA administrator and currently the largest civil legal aid funder in Florida, with a network of 35+ legal aid organizations.

Fellowship Purposes

To involve fellowship recipients in the provision of high-quality, meaningful civil legal assistance to low-income Floridians, the indigent, and the working poor in critical areas of need.
To provide in-depth "on the job" experience in representing low-income Floridians and practical legal skills including: client interaction (conducting interviews, preparing clients for hearings and trial), gathering supporting documents, legal drafting, preparing motions, discovery requests, trial preparation and more.
To increase law students' interest in and awareness of the legal problems of low-income Floridians, and the challenges and satisfaction of representing those who need legal representation but cannot otherwise afford it.
To promote public and community service, including a commitment to pro bono representation of low-income Floridians.

Fellowship Details

The FFLA Civil Legal Aid Summer Fellowship Program is seeking rising second- and third-year law students for placement at non-profit legal service programs throughout Florida during the 2027 summer semester.

This Fellowship runs for a period of 10 weeks.
This is a full-time, in-person position for the summer.
- Some host organizations may offer partial remote work, noted in project descriptions in yellow.
FFLA hopes to offer up to 45 Summer 2027 fellowships.
The monetary stipend for each student is $10,000.
- Payroll amount is subject to mandatory 7.65% social security and Medicare tax withholding as well as additional federal withholding tax as calculated by the IRS based on how the fellow is classified by their host organization (W2 or 1099).
The application process will close on October 31, 2026, at 11:45 p.m. EST.
Students will be informed of application decisions on a rolling basis beginning December 7, 2026, through mid-February 2027.
- Funding and placement decisions are made by FFLA. Please do not contact the host organizations.
View the list of legal service organizations and their projects here: List of Host Organizations & Projects
View the Fellow Guidelines.

Fellowship Term

The Fellowship begins Monday, May 24, 2027, through Friday, July 30, 2027.
Exceptions may be made for students whose academic calendars run early or late if their host organization approves a fellowship date change.

Student Eligibility and Selection Criteria

Rising second-year and third-year law students (current 1L and 2Ls who have completed at least two semesters of law school by the end of May 2027) attending an accredited law school are eligible to apply provided they are in good standing with their law school. Among the factors to be considered in selection are desire to work with the low-income community, academic achievement, writing skills, and commitment/interest in public service work.

Questions

Contact FFLA Deputy Executive Director Jessica Brown at jbrown@fundingfla.org.

A. General Information

1. Name

First NameLast Name

2. Preferred Name (How should we address you?)

3. Personal Email

example@example.com

4. School Email (must end in .edu)

example@example.edu

Please Note: All communications from FFLA will be via email. If your email address or other contact information changes, you must contact us immediately with the updated information.

5. Phone Number

Format: (000) 000-0000.

6. Social Media: Please add a link to your profile on LinkedIn and/or your handle on other social media.

7. Current address

Street Address

Street Address Line 2

CityState / Province

Postal / Zip Code

Demographic information is optional.

8. Ethnicity (hold ctrl key to select more than one option)

This question is optional.

9. How should we address you?

This question is optional.

9a. If you answered 'Other', please let us know how we should address you:

10. Are you fluent in a language other than English?

10a. If you answered yes to the question above, what other language(s) do you speak and write fluently?

B. Applicant's Law School Information

11. What law school do you attend? (Please note: Your law school must be ABA accredited or ABA provisionally accredited)

11a. If your law school is not in Florida, please type the name of your law school.

12. If you are a current 2L (rising 3L), what is your current law school GPA?

Current 2L - Please upload a copy of your unofficial law school transcript as of the most recently completed semester for question 14.

13. If you are a current 1L (rising 2L), what was your final undergraduate GPA?

Current 1L - Please upload a copy of your final undergraduate transcript for question 14.

14. Please upload transcript below. See instructions in red above.

15. What is your anticipated law school graduation date?

16. Please provide the email address for your law school's Career Services or Professional Development Office.

17. Are you currently a Certified Legal Intern or have you received an initial clearance letter from the Florida Board of Bar Examiners clearing you to be a Certified Legal Intern (pursuant to Rule 11 of The Rules Regulating The Florida Bar)?

18. What law school clinics, internships, and/or externships have you completed, or do you expect to complete prior to May 2027?

Please limit response to 250 words or less0/250

C. Applicant's Personal Statements

Please ensure that all narrative responses reflect your authentic voice and include personal anecdotes. Answers must be written entirely in your own words without the assistance of AI writing tools. Reviewers would like to know about YOU and your interests and accomplishments.

19. Why do you want to be a Civil Legal Aid Summer Fellow?

Please limit response to 500 words or less.0/500

20. Please describe three skills, experiences, talents, commitments, and/or interests you have that support your selection to the Summer Fellowship program?

Please limit response to 500 words or less.0/500

21. What practical skills would you like to learn or improve through the Summer Fellowship?

Please limit response to 250 words or less.0/250

22. What are your employment goals after law school?

Please limit response to 250 words or less.0/250

D. Project Selection

Please see this list of legal service organizations and projects.

Applicants MUST choose from this list.
You must list at least one and up to three choices in order of preference.

If you are aware that a listed organization has recommended you for placement at its office, and you wish to be placed there, please state this in the appropriate preference box below.

Please note: It may be difficult for FFLA to place all accepted applicants at their top selections, especially in areas such as South Florida. Applicants should give thoughtful consideration to programs in rural areas, Central Florida, and North Florida. Additionally, due to limited funding and other factors, not all projects may receive a student placement.

FIRST PROJECT PREFERENCE

23. Choose your first preference for a project.

23a. Explain why you would like to work at this organization on this project.

Please limit your response to 250 words or less. 0/250

23b. I acknowledge that if my first preference's location requires me to relocate, I am responsible for obtaining my own housing.

SECOND PROJECT PREFERENCE

24. Choose your second preference for a project.

24a. Explain why you would like to work at this organization on this project.

Please limit your response to 250 words or less. 0/250

24b. I acknowledge that if my second preference's location requires me to relocate, I am responsible for obtaining my own housing.

THIRD PROJECT PREFERENCE

25. Choose your third preference for a project.

25a. Explain why you would like to work at this organization on this project.

Please limit your response to 250 words or less. 0/250

25b. I acknowledge that if my third preference's location requires me to relocate, I am responsible for obtaining my own housing.

26. FFLA is exploring additional fellowship opportunities that may include fall and/or spring fellowships in future years. If such opportunities were available, which would you realistically pursue? (Your response will not affect the evaluation of your summer fellowship application.)

E. Applicant’s Supporting Documentation

26. Please upload a copy of your current resume.

PDF file only

F. Acceptance of Fellowship if Selected

By my initials and e-signature below, I certify that the information included in this application, including attachments, is true and correct and that I have completed this application to the best of my abilities. Further, by my initials and signature below, I agree to and understand the following:

27. If I receive an offer to be an FFLA 2027 Civil Legal Aid Summer Fellow, I will accept or decline the offer by the deadline of January 8, 2027. I understand that offers may be made as early as December 7, 2026 and as late as January 8, 2027. In some cases, offers may be recieved after January 8, 2027. If I am provided an offer during this subsequent time period, I agree I will accept or decline the offer within 10 calendar days from the date of the offer.

ENTER INITIALS IN THE BOX ABOVE

28. If I accept an offer to be an FFLA 2027 Civil Legal Aid Summer Fellow, I will work full-time (approx. 40 hours per week) onsite for a period of ten weeks during the summer at a civil legal aid program in Florida. I understand that I will be a temporary employee of the organization where I am assigned, and that I will be subject to that program’s personnel and human resources policies. I understand that my pay will be subject to mandatory 7.65% social security and Medicare tax withholding as well as additional federal withholding tax as calculated by the IRS based on my W4 form.

ENTER INITIALS IN THE BOX ABOVE

29. I have read and agree to the Summer Fellow Student Guidelines. (Linked and highlighted orange in the Fellowship Details section.)

ENTER INITIALS IN THE BOX ABOVE

30. By signing this document, I certify that the information contained in this application, including attachments, is true and correct.

PRINT YOUR APPLICATION

If you want to print your application, press the Print Form button before pressing the Submit button below.

EMAIL CONFIRMATION OF SUBMISSION

You will receive an email confirmation that your Summer Fellowship Application has been submitted to FFLA.

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2027 FFLA Civil Legal Aid Summer Fellowship Program