Haas Fellowship

The Hong Yen Chang Center for Chinese Legal Studies, in conjunction with the Office of Public Interest/Public Service Law and Careers, awards the Haas Fellowship each year.

Established in 2004, the Marc Haas Public Interest Fellowship supports recent Columbia Law School graduates from greater China to work in public interest law internships in the United States immediately after graduation. Applications are being accepted for the 2024 season. The deadline for 2023 is 5 p.m., Wednesday, March 6, 2024.

The fellowships will be awarded to graduating LL.M. or J.D. students from China. Fellows will receive between (3) three and (6) six months of funding at approximately $3,333 per month. One or two fellowships will be awarded this year. It is anticipated that fellowships will begin by August or September 2023. Recipients of the fellowships will be responsible for locating their positions, but will be assisted by the staff at Social Justice Initiatives throughout the spring semester. Fellows will be expected to work full time at public interest law organizations during the entire term of their fellowship. Please note that this is not a research fellowship.

The deadline to apply is Wednesday, March 6, 2024. Please apply on Symplicity (search for “Mark Haas Public Interest Fellowships 2024"). You will be required to upload the following documents:

  • Your resume
  • Your unofficial transcript
  • The name of a Columbia faculty member willing to serve as a reference for you (an actual letter of recommendation is not required); and
  • A one- to two-page statement detailing the reasons for your interest in the fellowship, including the area of law in which you hope to work and the desired duration of the fellowship (3 months minimum-6 months maximum). This may be uploaded as your “additional documents.”

Please direct your fellowship inquiries to one of the following:

  • For questions about substantive issues such as fellowship criteria or the appropriateness of a reference: Assistant Director of Human Rights and Public International Law Kerry McLean (kerry.mclean@law.columbia.edu) or Assistant Director of Asian Law Programs Nick Pozek ([email protected]).
  • For administrative questions about submitting your materials: Assistant Director of Asian Law Programs, Nick Pozek ([email protected]).
  • For questions about the payment process: Rebecca Hinde, Coordinator for Communications and Postgraduate Fellowships ([email protected]).

Haas Fellows

Junteng Zheng LL. M. 2018.

Hoping He Ping LL.M. 2018. The fellowship supported her LL.M. degree.

Bonnie Yuet Wong Tong LL.M. '16. Ms. Tong worked at ABA Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI).

Zhang Wenjuan (Wendy) LL.M. '14. Ms. Zhang worked at the Brennan Center for Justice.

Tze-Wei Ng LL.M. '13: Ms. Ng worked at the Truth and Memory Program, International Centre for Transitional Justice.

Zhang Wanhong LL.M. '12

Ye Mingxin LL.M. ’10: Ms. Ye worked for Restaurant Opportunities Centers United, New York City.

Zhang Hong LL. M. ’09: Ms. Zhang worked for the Natural Resources Defense Council in New York City.

Liu Jingjing, LL.M. ’06: Ms. Liu worked for the National Resources Defense Council in San Francisco.

Scarlett Chang, LL.M. ’05: Ms. Chang is a Staff Attorney for Sanctuary for Families, New York City.

For more information, contact Nick Pozek