Juvenile Law Center

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Zubrow Fellowship: Frequently Asked Questions

The Substance of a Zubrow Fellowship

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 that include:

Contributing research and writing for litigation. Zubrow Fellows have researched legal issues, drafted memos and prepared language for motions and briefs for ongoing Juvenile Law Center litigation. For example, Zubrow Fellows have worked on complaints, motions, and briefs in a federal class action lawsuit against two judges and several other defendants in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania for conspiring to obtain kickbacks for placing youth in detention centers. A current Zubrow Fellow is also spearheading a Juvenile Law Center federal civil rights lawsuit brought by two young men for excessive and intolerable isolation they endured while in the custody of the New Jersey Juvenile Justice Commission.

Working on amicus briefs to the U.S. Supreme Court and state courts. Zubrow Fellows worked on the Juvenile Law Center amicus brief in the U.S. Supreme Court case J.D.B. v. North Carolina, arguing that when youth are questioned by police, their age should be considered for purposes of determining whether they were "in custody" under Miranda v. Arizona. A current Fellow also contributed to an amicus brief to the New Mexico Supreme Court arguing that a statute that permitted a teenager to be tried as a juvenile but sentenced as an adult was unconstitutional under Apprendi v. New Jersey. 

Conducting legal trainings and giving presentations to attorneys, child welfare and juvenile justice professionals and youth. Zubrow Fellows have, for example, trained youth in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems, and their providers, on the rights of youth in substitute care; social service providers on the legal rights of teenage parents and the rights of juveniles to consent to and control the records related to their health care; and probation officers on accessing behavioral health services for youth.

Monitoring, analyzing, and advocating for federal and state legislative and administrative reform. A current Zubrow Fellow lobbied members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives to co-sponsor proposed legislation that would allow foster youth to stay in the same school even when moving to a different school district. A recent Zubrow Fellow worked with older foster youth on advocacy efforts in support of a proposed law that would waive the tuition of foster youth who attend colleges, community colleges, and trade schools that are owned by Pennsylvania or that are considered Pennsylvania-related institutions.

Contribute to local and national policy, academic, and advocacy communities. Fellows work closely with prominent national and local organizations to develop strategy and propose policy. Additionally, Fellows participate in local, state, and federal advocacy committees as representatives of Juvenile Law Center. Fellows have also had the opportunity to contribute to academic and policy publications. Many Fellows have helped teach courses at local law schools along with other Juvenile Law Center attorneys. 

Representing youth in family court. A Zubrow Fellow is currently representing a teenager in a dependency matter. The representation has involved court appearances, ongoing conversations with adults in the child's life, efforts to secure social services for the child, interaction with the city social worker and school officials, and coordination with Juvenile Law Center's social worker. 

Working to engage youth involved in the child welfare or juvenile justice systems to become advocates for change. Fellows have helped supervise Juvenile Law Center's youth engagement programs, Juveniles for Justice and Youth Fostering Change, which provide young people in Philadelphia's juvenile justice and child welfare systems opportunities to advocate for policy change in the systems that most affect them. Zubrow Fellows also provide support to the Youth Advisory Board, a group of youth currently or formerly in substitute care that educates, advocates, and forms partnerships to create positive change in the substitute care system.

Do Zubrow Fellows have individual clients?

Zubrow Fellows may have the opportunity to represent an individual client in the child welfare system. Because Juvenile Law Center is not a legal services organization, direct representation is not the focus of the Fellowship, and there is no guarantee that the Fellow will have an opportunity to represent individual clients. 

How are the Zubrow Fellows supervised?

Zubrow Fellows are supervised by a Juvenile Law Center Supervising Attorney. Supervision of Fellows consists primarily of regular informal check-ins, but also includes more formal assessments of Fellows’ workloads and job satisfaction. In general, assignments for Fellows come through the Fellows' supervisors who then assign them on the basis of each Fellow’s interests and workload. Fellows may also get feedback on individual assignments from any of the attorneys involved in the particular project.

With whom do Zubrow Fellows work?

Because Juvenile Law Center is a small public interest firm (ten attorneys), Fellows have an opportunity to work closely with all members of the staff. In addition, Fellows work with organizations and individuals from other Philadelphia legal or public interest advocacy organizations, Philadelphia and Pennsylvania government employees, and juvenile lawyers from around the country.

Do Zubrow Fellows have an opportunity to teach a law school course?

In some years, Zubrow Fellows may have the opportunity to assist in teaching a course at a local area law school. Juvenile Law Center’s Deputy Director and Chief Legal Counsel Marsha Levick and Supervising Attorney Jennifer Pokempner also teach law school courses and are available to help Fellows with course planning.

What kind of training is provided for Zubrow Fellows?

Zubrow Fellows may attend several trainings during their Fellowship, including:

  • How to Handle a Child Abuse Case, a one-day training at the Pennsylvania Bar Institute;
  • Current Issues for Child Advocates, a one-day training at the Pennsylvania Bar Institute;
  • Training the Lawyer to Represent the Whole Child, a week-long training by the National Institute of Trial Advocacy on trial tactics and issues relevant to the representation of children.

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 for Zubrow Fellows?

Juvenile Law Center staff is available to help Fellows secure post-Fellowship work and to serve as a resource for Fellows at any time. 

Do Zubrow Fellows need to take the Pennsylvania bar exam?

No. Zubrow Fellows can take the bar exam for any state and, upon passing, will be permitted to practice in Pennsylvania for thirty months under Pennsylvania Bar Admission Rule No. 311.

Is the Zubrow Fellowship a two-year fellowship?

Yes. However, in the unlikely event that the Fellowship is not working out for either Juvenile Law Center or the Fellow, it may be terminated after one year.

When does the Zubrow Fellowship begin?

The Fellowship begins in September of each year.

The Application Process

Who is eligible to apply for the Zubrow Fellowship?

Applicants who are in their final year of a graduate degree program in law, or who are judicial law clerks, may apply. Attorneys who have already worked after law school in either the public interest or private sector will not be considered.

When is the Zubrow Fellowship application due?

All application materials for the Zubrow Fellowship beginning in September of 2013 must be received by Juvenile Law Center no later than October 1, 2012.

As a Zubrow Fellow applicant, do I need to propose a project?

No, the Zubrow Fellowship is not a project-based fellowship. Fellows work on a wide variety of projects.

As a Zubrow Fellow applicant, what materials do I need to submit?

Applicants must submit the following materials in a single package:

1. Application form
2. Official law school transcript
3. Three letters of recommendation, including from:
     - One law school professor
     - One former employer
     - One recommender of the applicant's choice
4. Two essays on separate sheets
5. Resume
6. Writing sample (no more than 10 double-spaced pages)

Please make sure all of these materials, including the letters of recommendation, arrive in a single application package. 

On what criteria will Zubrow Fellow applicants be evaluated?

In general, 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 selection committee will consider the applicant's competency, character, and commitment.

How does the Zubrow Fellowship application process work?

All application materials for the Zubrow Fellowship beginning in September of 2013 must be received by Juvenile Law Center by October 1, 2012. Juvenile Law Center staff review all applications and invite 6-10 finalists to interview with a panel of distinguished leaders in the field of children's law. Within a few days of the interview, a candidate will be notified of his or her selection as the next Zubrow Fellow. It is generally expected that an applicant who applies and interviews for the Zubrow Fellowship will accept the Fellowship award if offered, so applicants should carefully consider their interest in the Fellowship before applying and/or accepting an invitation to interview. Please note that the timeline is very short and it may therefore require a decision before other fellowships have made their final selection decisions. 

Who conducts the interviews for the Zubrow Fellowship?

The interview for the Zubrow Fellowship is conducted by a panel of lawyers, law professors, and judges from around the country. Additionally, a senior member of Juvenile Law Center's staff will participate in the panel.  

Will I have an opportunity to ask the former and current Zubrow Fellows questions about their experiences?

Any candidate who has questions about the Fellowship may email his or her question to zubrow@jlc.org. Commonly asked questions and their answers are posted on this page. Zubrow Fellowship finalists will be provided contact information for former or current Zubrow Fellows so they may email or call to ask questions in preparation for their interviews. Finalists will also have the opportunity to meet informally with current and former Zubrow Fellows following their panel interviews. At this time, they may ask questions about the fellowship experience and general questions about Juvenile Law Center, Philadelphia, or anything else. 

If I am invited for an interview, will Juvenile Law Center cover my travel expenses?

Yes, travel expenses to and from Philadelphia, including lodging, if necessary, will be paid by Juvenile Law Center. Finalists will receive a travel reimbursement form at the interview, which they can then submit, with receipts, by mail.

Financial Questions about the Zubrow Fellowship

What is the salary for Zubrow Fellows?

Zubrow Fellows will be provided with an annual salary of $46,000. Fellows are also provided with employer-paid health care and disability and life insurance benefits. 

Does the Zubrow Fellowship provide loan repayment assistance?

The Zubrow Fellowship will provide up to $10,000 per year in loan repayments. These payments are made in quarterly installments. The amount of loan assistance a fellow will receive depends on the amount and type of debt that s/he has incurred. Both federally funded and private educational loans are covered, including commercial bar loans. Non-traditional, e.g., loans by a relative, are not covered. Fellows are required to maximize their participation in all other loan repayment assistance programs for which they are eligible. Juvenile Law Center will calculate a Fellow’s yearly repayment amount as though outstanding loans, i.e., those not eligible to be covered by any other program, were on a 15-year repayment term. The 15-year term is applied for calculation purposes regardless of the actual term of the loan. Fellows do not have to formally consolidate at that rate to receive assistance. Loan repayment assistance is treated as a taxable fringe benefit.

What additional financial support does Juvenile Law Center provide?

Juvenile Law Center pays the annual bar membership and professional licensing fees for Fellows and for CLE (Continuing Legal Education) course registration fees. Juvenile Law Center also covers Philadelphia Bar Association dues.

Philadelphia as a Place to Live and Work

Why is Philadelphia a great place to live and work?

  • Philadelphia has a small, tight-knit public interest legal community, which provides plenty of opportunities to collaborate and network.
  • Philadelphia is the fifth largest city in North America and the second largest city on the East Coast.
  • Philadelphia has the highest standard of living per dollar of any major city in the Northeast corridor.
  • Conde Nast Traveler magazine readers have rated Philadelphia the Best Restaurant City in America.
  • Philadelphia's Fairmount Park is the largest city park in the world, and maintains running, cycling, and riding trails, as well as boat rentals on the Schuylkill River. 
  • Philadelphia is a city rich in history: it was the place where the American Constitution and Bill of Rights were forged and it is home to the nation's first medical school, art school, university, and library.
  • New York City and Washington, D.C. are both two hours away and easily accessible by bus and train. 

Where is Juvenile Law Center's office located?

Juvenile Law Center's offices are located in Center City, within walking distance of all courts (juvenile, criminal, domestic, community, state, and federal); Philadelphia's City Hall and the Department of Human Services; all major transportation lines; Reading Terminal Market; trendy "Midtown Village," Chinatown; and a host of shops and restaurants.

Where can I live in Philadelphia?

Philadelphia is a city of small-town neighborhoods, rich in history and cultural diversity. Descriptions of some of the major neighborhoods can be found here. 

Where can I learn more about Philadelphia?

This online visitor's guide provides a wealth of information about the city: Philadelphia and the Countryside.

Do you have questions about the Zubrow Fellowship that are not answered here? If you have a question that was not answered, please send it to zubrow@jlc.org. We will post answers to commonly asked questions.