The Monroe Leigh Fellowship in International Law provides $10,000 to one or more students to pursue a public international law project of their choosing. The fellowship is available to UVA law students only for the summer following their 1L or 2L year, or 3Ls for a postgraduate internship. The fellow normally works with a sponsoring organization.

• Fellows and Employers from 2003-Present
• Background and Application Procedure
   

Ida Abhari ’22 will work as a human rights litigation intern at the Center for Justice and Accountability in San Francisco, and Elizabeth Simper ’23 will work with the U.S. Department of Defense Office of the Chief Prosecutor in the Office of Military Commissions in Alexandria, Virginia.

 

Background and Application Procedure

The Monroe Leigh Fellowship in International Law was established by Monroe Leigh's family and friends and the University of Virginia School of Law to honor Monroe's commitment to the development of international law and to encourage students to gain valuable international law experience.

A 1947 graduate of the Law School and editor-in-chief of the Virginia Law Review, Leigh had a legal career that spanned six decades, during which he advised governments and private companies and furthered the development of international legal institutions as a scholar and public servant. As a member of the law firm of Steptoe & Johnson for most of his career, he specialized in international law, public international law, international dispute resolution, and U.S. regulations involving national security and foreign policy. Over the years, he was a leader in shaping the U.S. position on war crimes issues. He was president of the American Society of International Law from 1981-82 and he was a member of various U.S. government advisory groups. From 1975-77, he was the legal adviser to the Department of State. Until 1988, he was an adjunct professor on International Trade Law at the University of Virginia School of Law.  In 1996, he was a visiting scholar at Wolfson College of Cambridge University, England.

Compensation

The fellowship will be offered to one or more students in a maximum amount of $10,000.

Qualifications

Fellowships are awarded based on academic performance, experience, commitment to the field of international law and the merits of the project proposal.

Application Deadline

Mar. 26, 2021

Application Procedure

Send electronic and hard copies of the following to: Professor Camilo Sánchez, csanchez@law.virginia.edu

1. Resume;
2. Copy of law school transcript (can be unofficial – 1Ls may provide a copy of prior academic transcript if necessary);  
3. 2 letters of recommendation from Law School faculty members or attorneys who are familiar with the applicant’s work;
4. 2 essays (each no longer than one page, single spaced)—one describing the proposed project/ work and the other discussing the applicant’s commitment to international law; and  
5. Letter from the sponsoring organization indicating their willingness to serve as the host organization should the applicant receive the fellowship

Contact

Professor Camilo Sánchez
csanchez@law.virginia.edu
University of Virginia School of Law
580 Massie Road
Charlottesville, VA 22903

 

Monroe Leigh Fellows, 2003-Present