Zubrow Fellowship FAQ's

What kind of work do Zubrow Fellows do at Juvenile Law Center? All attorneys at Juvenile Law Center, including Fellows, engage in a wide range of advocacy activities across both the child welfare and justice systems, which may include: 

  • Monitoring, analyzing, and advocating for federal and state legislative and administrative reform. Fellows push for legislative reform at the state and federal levels, write reports and fact sheets highlighting the need for reform, and help create resources to better implement existing laws. 

 

  • Contribute to local and national policy, academic, and advocacy communities. Fellows work closely with prominent national and local organizations, including youth advocacy and community groups most directly impacted by the child welfare and justice systems, to develop strategy and propose policy changes. Additionally, Fellows represent Juvenile Law Center at local, state, and federal advocacy committees. Past Fellows have contributed to academic and policy publications, served as guest lecturers for local law school courses taught by Juvenile Law Center attorneys, and presented at national conferences and Continuing Legal Education courses for attorneys.

 

  • Contributing research and writing for litigation. Fellows often research legal issues, draft memos and prepare language for motions and briefs for ongoing Juvenile Law Center litigation.  

 

  • Working on amicus briefs to the U.S. Supreme Court and state and federal courts. Zubrow Fellows work on amicus briefs exploring a variety of legal issues, such as juvenile life without parole, the right to counsel for foster youth, and youth sex offender registration. 

 

Does the Zubrow Fellowship involve direct representation? No, Juvenile Law Center does not usually engage in direct representation. Fellows’ work focuses on policy reform, appellate advocacy, and impact litigation. Fellows may have clients in class actions or impact litigation cases and will partner with youth and families who have been directly impacted by the child welfare or justice systems.

As a Zubrow Fellow applicant, do I need to propose a project? No, Zubrow Fellows are entry-level staff attorneys and therefore work on a wide variety of projects. However, applicants are expected to be aware of Juvenile Law Center's work and should anticipate questions regarding their areas of interest. 

How are the Zubrow Fellows supervised? Fellows are supervised by a Senior Attorney. Supervision consists primarily of regular check-ins, including developing a professional development plan. Fellows receive an annual performance evaluation, as well as interim opportunities for project feedback. Fellows are assigned to project teams, each of which has a team leader who will also provide substantive supervision. Through their work, Fellows are exposed to the broad array of Juvenile Law Center's issues. Supervisors accommodate the Fellow's interests where possible.  

What kind of training is provided to Zubrow Fellows? Fellows will work with their supervisor to develop a professional development plan that includes internal opportunities for growth and external support and training. Fellows may also take Continuing Legal Education (CLE) courses offered in Philadelphia and participate in designated national conferences.  

What kind of post-Fellowship support is provided to Zubrow Fellows? Consistent with Fellows’ professional development plans, Juvenile Law Center staff will serve as a resource for Fellows and connect them to colleagues around the country to help secure post-Fellowship work.  

Do Zubrow Fellows need to take the Pennsylvania bar exam? Fellows can take the bar exam for any state. If it becomes necessary to their Fellowship, fellows may apply for pro hac vice admission in specific cases and/or can apply to practice in Pennsylvania for thirty months under Pennsylvania Bar Admission Rule No. 311. If required for the Fellowship, Juvenile Law Center would cover the cost of court admittance. 

Is the Zubrow Fellowship a two-year fellowship? Yes. However, it may be terminated after one year. This is extremely rare and unlikely.

When does the Fellowship begin? The Fellowship begins in September, annually. 

Is the Zubrow Fellowship a remote opportunity? The Fellow will be expected to begin the fellowship in September of the following year, with the ability to work in the Philadelphia office at least 2 days per week strongly preferred. We will, however, consider candidates who wish to work remotely from other locations.  Staff members at Juvenile Law Center who work remotely will be expected to travel to Philadelphia for in-person staff meetings up to once every other month and may be expected to travel for other work requirements such as appearing in court, attending conferences, or joining in-person community meetings.

What is the salary? Fellows will be provided with an annual salary of $62,000. Fellows are also provided with 100% employer-paid health care, short- and long-term disability insurance benefits, and life insurance benefits. After one year, Fellows receive contributions to a 403(b) retirement savings account. 

What additional financial support does Juvenile Law Center provide? Juvenile Law Center covers bar membership dues for one jurisdiction, as well as dues for one membership association, such as the American Bar Association. 

Who is eligible to apply for the Fellowship? Zubrow Fellows are emerging leaders who graduated law school within two years prior to beginning the Fellowship. Applicants for the current Zubrow Fellowship should have graduated or anticipate graduating law school or a dual degree program in law within two-and-a-half years of the fellowship's start date. There is no restriction on what an applicant who has already graduated has chosen to do in the time since graduating. Individual questions about eligibility should be addressed to [email protected].  

How do I submit my application? Please send your application and supporting materials electronically as a single PDF file to [email protected].  The pdf file should be titled using the following format: LastName_FirstName_ZubrowApplication.  If your recommenders will not send their letters of recommendation to you to include in your single submission, they should be directed to email the recommendation to [email protected] and title the attachment using the following format: ApplicantLastName_FirstName_ZubrowRecommendation 

As a Zubrow Fellow applicant, what materials do I need to submit? Applicants must submit the following materials: 

  1. Application form 
  2. Resume 
  3. Law school transcript 
  4. Three letters of recommendation, including from: one law school professor, one current or former employer, one recommender of the applicant's choice.
  5. Two essays on separate sheets, which respond to the questions on the application form 
  6. Legal writing sample (no more than 10 double-spaced pages) 

Please make sure all materials, including the letters of recommendation if possible, are in a single pdf file.  

On what criteria will Zubrow Fellow applicants be evaluated? Applicants will be judged on the extent to which they possess the vision, drive, and skills required to create and sustain work to further Juvenile Law Center's mission. The Zubrow Fellowship is intended to help build the field of child advocacy by identifying and cultivating talented, dedicated individuals so that they can go on to be leaders in the field. Juvenile Law Center is committed to advancing equity and recognizes the urgency and necessity of building and supporting diverse leadership in the field of child advocacy. We are committed to actively recruiting and hiring from communities most impacted by our work. The Fellowship is designed for emerging leaders; as such, no prior post-graduate work experience is required.  

How does the Zubrow Fellowship application process work? Here's how the process works, from start to finish:

  • Application period closes. A hiring committee reviews the applications and selects six to ten candidates for video interviews.
  • Applicants are notified for a video interview.
  • Three to four finalists are invited to interview at our office in Philadelphia with a panel experts.
  • Final interview in Philadelphia. It is generally expected that final interviewees are prepared to accept the Fellowship if an offer is made. Applicants should carefully consider their interest in the Fellowship before applying and/or accepting an invitation for a final interview. Finalists for the Zubrow Fellowship will have an unmonitored phone conversation with a current Zubrow Fellow to ask questions before accepting the final interview. 
  • Within one week of the interview: Final candidate is notified. Please note that the timeline for deciding about the Fellowship is very short and may therefore require a commitment before other fellowships or opportunities have made their selections.  

Who conducts the final panel interview for the Zubrow Fellowship? The final interview is conducted by a panel of experts who have demonstrated a commitment to child welfare and justice system advocacy and are familiar with Juvenile Law Center’s work. Additionally, a senior member of Juvenile Law Center's staff will participate in the panel. It is generally expected that final interviewees are prepared to accept the Fellowship if an offer is made. Applicants should carefully consider their interest in the Fellowship before applying and/or accepting an invitation for a final interview. Finalists for the Zubrow Fellowship will have an unmonitored phone conversation with a current Zubrow Fellow to ask questions before accepting the final interview.

Will I have an opportunity to ask the former and current Zubrow Fellows questions about their experiences? Any candidate with additional questions about the Fellowship is invited to email [email protected]. In addition, finalists for the Zubrow Fellowship will have a phone conversation with a current Zubrow Fellow before accepting the final interview. Finalists will meet informally with current Zubrow Fellows following the panel interviews. At this time, they may ask questions about the fellowship experience and about Juvenile Law Center, Philadelphia, or anything else.  

If I am invited for an in-person interview, will Juvenile Law Center cover my travel expenses? Yes, Juvenile Law Center will pay for domestic travel expenses to and from Philadelphia, including necessary lodging. Finalists will receive a travel reimbursement form at the interview, which they can then submit with receipts by mail.  

Do you have questions about the Zubrow Fellowship that are not answered here? If so, please email [email protected]. We will post answers to commonly-asked questions.