Sidley Pro Bono Fellowships

An important component of Sidley’s pro bono work is its fellowship program, which allows associates to work at nonprofit organizations in the community either before they begin working at the firm or, in the case of the New York office, after they have joined the firm. Sidley provides a fellowship stipend or pays the salary of the fellows to allow them to work for a nonprofit organization for about 10 weeks. In Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, and Chicago, they can choose among a variety of nonprofit organizations, including those that provide direct services to indigent people, as well as those that engage in impact litigation and policy work. In New York, associates are detailed to inMotion, an organization that provides legal services to low-income women.

Through their work with the nonprofit organizations, associates become familiar with the organizations, their staffs, and their work, and often develop relationships that they continue and expand when they come or return to the firm. These relationships often are an important source of pro bono matters for the firm and the fellows throughout their careers. The firm benefits because the fellows acquire experience in a short period of time as they are exposed to the often intense pace of life in a nonprofit organization. Fellows develop skills dealing with clients, negotiating with other lawyers, and advocating in court or in other settings in which they need to persuade a decision-maker.

View Fellowship Program Brochure