The Honorable Phyllis W. Beck Public Interest Law Fellowships

BACKGROUND

Independence Foundation is a private, not-for-profit philanthropic organization located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and serves Philadelphia and its surrounding counties.  The Foundation supports organizations that provide services to people who do not ordinarily have access to them, including public interest law firms that provide free civil legal services.  In 1996, the Foundation established the Independence Foundation Public Interest Law Fellowship Program to support those within five years of graduation from a law school who are interested in working in public interest law.  In 2024, the Fellowship changed its name to the Phyllis W. Beck Fellowship Program, in honor of the Foundation’s long-time Board Chair, the Honorable Phyllis W. Beck.  Since its inception, over 120 Fellowships have been awarded.  Many former Beck Fellows are in leadership positions in the Philadelphia public interest law community and beyond.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Project Development

Applicants must first identify a sponsoring organization that is a public interest law organization funded by Independence Foundation.  The organization should have its main office in Philadelphia, Delaware, Montgomery, Bucks, or Chester County, PA.  The list of public interest law organizations funded by Independence Foundation can be found here.

Applicants develop a project in partnership with the sponsoring organization.  Projects should focus on a new legal practice area or problem or a new way of delivering legal services that aligns with the organization’s mission but is a new approach for them. 

Examples

1. New legal practice area: A Fellow at the Legal Clinic for the Disabled provided targeted legal services to disabled individuals experiencing abuse—an area they had not previously focused on. 
2. New delivery approach: Projects may aim to improve or innovate existing services rather than start a new practice area, such as a Fellow expanding legal support for abused seniors by offering services at their homes and conducting community education, which is an expansion of services.

The core of the project must involve direct legal representation of underserved clients. This includes litigation, administrative hearings, or transactional work. Work to make systemic changes related to the legal problem being addressed should be included in some way. Funding does not cover criminal prosecution or defense.

Fellowships are granted for one year and may be renewed for an additional year, upon request and approval from the Foundation and sponsoring organization.

Role of the Sponsoring Organization

The sponsoring organization hires and employs the Fellow during the fellowship. They handle salary and loan repayment funds (if applicable). The Fellow will receive the same benefits as other employees of the sponsoring organization except for pension, dependent benefits, travel costs, and attorney registration or Continuing Legal Education expenses.  The Fellow will have paid time off (vacation and sick leave) comparable to other staff. 

The sponsoring organization supervises and mentors the Fellow, helping develop and carry out the fellowship project. The Executive Director or Supervisor must review and sign quarterly reports about the Fellow’s progress, which are prepared by the Fellow and submitted to the Foundation.

The sponsoring organization must prepare a Commitment Letter (up to 500 words maximum) with the application containing the following:

• A one-sentence description of the organization, including its mission and public interest goals.
• A description of the proposed project, why it is important for clients, and how it aligns with the organization’s mission. 
• Details about supervision—who will supervise the Fellow, including their names and experience levels. 
• A commitment to hire the Fellow full-time, provide supervision and resources, and support the project for one year. This may be renewed for a second year if both the Foundation and organization agree.

Application Submission

The application form includes the following components:

1. Personal Statement (up to 500 words maximum): Describe your motivation to work in public interest law, your commitment, and any personal connection to the project or work.
    
2. Project Description (up to 500 words maximum): Explain the project, the clients served, the project goals and activities needed to execute the project, and supervision details.

The following additional documents are also required: 

• Resume (work, volunteer, employment) 
• Official Law School Transcript 
• Letter of Recommendation from a Law School Faculty Member (up to 500 words maximum)
• Letter of Recommendation from a Former Public Interest Employer (up to 500 words maximum)
• Sponsoring Organization’s Commitment Letter (up to 500 words maximum; please limit the description of the organization to one sentence – the remainder of the letter should be focused on the proposed project)
• Sponsoring Organization’s Benefits Worksheet

Please note the following: 

• There is no GPA requirement for the Beck Fellowship; applications are judged on commitment, leadership, project worthiness, and ability to serve clients' legal needs. 

• Non-U.S. citizens may apply if they can legally work in the U.S, sit for the bar, and practice law in Pennsylvania.

The application and instructions for submission are available here: Beck Fellowship Application.

Review Process

All applications will be reviewed by an Advisory Committee that includes Foundation Board and staff members, judges, and legal community representatives. This committee will evaluate the applications, select semi-finalists to be interviewed, conduct interviews and recommend finalists to the Foundation Board.  The Foundation Board will make the final decision and award the fellowships.

Employment/Compensation

The Fellow is employed by the sponsoring organization. Independence Foundation makes quarterly payments to the organization to cover salary and benefits:

• First-year Fellows receive a minimum salary of $70,000 unless a lower amount is mandated by a collective bargaining agreement.
• Second-year Fellows receive a minimum salary of $72,000 unless a lower amount is mandated by a collective bargaining agreement.

These salary provisions will begin with the Beck Fellows Class of 2027.

Additionally, Fellows with student loans are eligible for up to $10,000 per year to assist with loan repayment.

The Foundation also reimburses the organization for health insurance, disability insurance, and the employer’s payroll tax.  The fellowship does not cover pension contributions, travel costs, attorney registration fees, continuing education expenses, or health benefits for dependents.

If you have questions or need further information, please contact Heather McDanel at hmcdanel@independencefoundation.org