Zubrow Fellowship

In 2000, Juvenile Law Center launched the first two-year, post-graduate children’s law fellowship in the country, the Sol & Helen Zubrow Fellowship in Children’s Law, with an endowment from Barry Zubrow, Sol and Helen’s son and Juvenile Law Center board member.

We are committed to building the field of child advocacy, and the Zubrow Fellowship supports dedicated and talented individuals who go on to become leaders and change-makers.

Zubrow Fellows take on a variety of legal tasks and gain a comprehensive understanding of issues in the child welfare and justice systems. Fellows co-author groundbreaking reports, help pass legislative and executive reforms, and participate in major litigation. Fellows participate in all aspects of our work—such as legislative and policy advocacy, providing technical assistance and training, and appellate advocacy—and often work closely with our Youth Advocacy Program.

The application deadline for the 2023-2025 Zubrow Fellowship in Children's Law will be January 13, 2023. Click here to download the application.

Applicants for the 2023-2025 Zubrow Fellowship should have graduated or anticipate graduating law school or a dual degree program in law between 2021-2023. The Zubrow Fellowship is designed for emerging leaders; no prior post-graduate work experience is required. Questions about eligibility? Email us at zubrow@jlc.org.

Read The Zubrow Fellowship FAQs.

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 2023-2025 Zubrow Fellowship should have graduated or anticipate graduating law school or a dual degree program in law between 2021-2023. There is no restriction on what an applicant who has already graduated has chosen to do in time since graduating. Individual questions about eligibility should be addressed to zubrow@jlc.org.

How does the Zubrow Fellowship application process work?

After the application period closes, the hiring committee reviews all applications and selects candidates that best match the position requirements for video interviews. After the video interviews, finalists are invited to a final panel interview. The interview may take place virtually. 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 also have an opportunity for a phone conversation with a current Zubrow Fellow to ask questions before accepting the final interview. This phone conversation will not be part of the formal selection process.

 Please read all the FAQs before applying.

The Zubrow Fellowship is not a project-based fellowship, and applicants do not need to propose a project. Applicants should be aware of Juvenile Law Center's work and identify their areas of interest. 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. No prior post-graduate work experience is required. The Fellow will be expected to begin the fellowship in September of the following year and will be expected to work at least two days of the week in our Philadelphia office to further meaningful supervision and professional development.

Salary & Benefits

The Zubrow Fellowship is a two-year fellowship with an annual salary of $62,000, plus health care benefits, disability insurance, and life insurance. 

Today, Fellowship alumni are leaders in the field, continuously shaping local, state and national conversations about children’s rights. They have established their own organizations, led advocacy efforts at national nonprofits, published groundbreaking academic research, and steered winning advocacy campaigns at the state, local, and federal levels to advance the rights and well-being of children and young people.