Opportunity Details

The American Bar Foundation (ABF) Undergraduate Research Fellows work with ABF faculty as research assistants during the Summer term of the current academic year. We are particularly impressed by students who demonstrate a strong work ethic and intellectual curiosity and who take initiative with mentors by asking questions and expressing a genuine interest in their research. Preference will be given to candidates from underrepresented backgrounds, including but not limited to first-generation and low-income students and students of color. Applications will be considered only from students currently attending Colleges and universities in the United States. Students must have completed at least two years of their undergraduate program and must have not received a bachelor’s degree by the time the fellowship begins. All Fellows will work 35 hours a week in our Chicago, IL, office. Fellows also participate in a series of in-house seminars and information sessions with legal professionals to get acquainted with the many facets of socio-legal research and the legal system, as well as create the opportunity for long-lasting professional relationships in the socio-legal field.

Past Fellows interacted with attorneys at an international law firm and a boutique intellectual property (IP) law firm, met one-on-one with admissions representatives from local law schools, and Zoomed with social justice-oriented nonprofits like the Cabrini Green Legal Aid and Uptown People’s Law Center. This fellowship is designed to introduce undergraduate students to the rewards and demands of a research-oriented career in the field of law and/or social science, as well as to provide guidance about the many career options under the umbrella of the legal profession. Preference will be given to candidates who aspire to be first-generation law students. Applicants must be at least sophomores attending College or university in the U.S., studying in the fields of law and social science, with a minimum GPA of 3.0.