Our Community Engagement Fellowship (CEF) is a paid 8 to 10-week summer program designed to connect students passionate about advancing community defense with public defender offices. Fellows play a vital role during this summer internship in fostering connections between the public defender’s office and the communities they serve, contributing to trust-building and meaningful outreach efforts.

The CEF provides hands-on experience that addresses systemic inequities in the legal system while empowering fellows to achieve their educational and professional aspirations. Fellows will design and implement impactful projects or programs aimed at expanding the office’s community outreach efforts. Examples include Know Your Rights training, expungement clinics, and community conversations on public safety.

This fellowship is open to ALL undergraduate and graduate students interested in pursuing careers across all areas of public defense, emphasizing the importance of holistic community collaboration.