June 6, 2022
Bernstein Litowitz Berger & Grossmann LLP (BLB&G) is proud to announce the BLB&G Fellowship Program. The program provides the opportunity for a Columbia Law School graduate to work in a litigation role at a public interest organization for two years before joining BLB&G’s world class shareholder rights litigation practice.
One Fellow will be selected each year from the current graduating class of Columbia Law School or from the most recent two graduating classes. The Fellow will become an associate of BLB&G, attending firm meetings and participating in the firm’s mentoring program, while being seconded to a qualifying 501(c)(3) public interest organization. Upon completion of the two-year secondment, the Fellow will assume normal responsibilities as a third-year associate at BLB&G.
Some of the most consequential legal work happens in the public interest sector. Lawyers can be powerful advocates for marginalized groups, using the courts to help create better, more equitable outcomes. Public interest litigation is also great training for lawyers, and we want to encourage young lawyers to get this experience at a formative time in their legal careers while also demonstrating the firm’s longstanding commitment to this important area.
- Jerry Silk, BLB&G Partner & Executive Committee Member
The Fellowship program aligns two of BLB&G’s fundamental core values: a commitment to contributing positively to the communities in which we work and live, and a practice of utilizing litigation for the public good. Since its founding, the firm has had unique success in taking on corporate wrongdoing, recovering billions in high profile litigation on behalf of pension funds and other institutional investors while ensuring corporate governance changes that have increased market transparency and held wrongdoers accountable.
It’s important to Columbia Law that our students have a broad range of career paths, and that we enable everyone who is interested in serving the public good to do so, regardless of their financial background. BLB&G’s Fellowship will make an impactful difference in the life of one of our graduates each year, and through them, in the lives of so many in the community.
- Erica Smock, Columbia Law School Dean for Social Justice Initiatives & Public Service Lawyering
BLB&G endows and supports several public interest law Fellowships and Scholarships at Columbia Law School:
- BLB&G Public Interest Law Fellowship – This Fellowship, awarded annually to a recent Columbia Law School graduate, can provide 100% of the funding needed to make payments on law school tuition loans so long as the Fellow remains in the public interest law field.
- The Paul M. Bernstein Memorial Scholarship – Established in 1990, the scholarship is awarded annually to one or more second-year Columbia Law School students selected for their academic excellence in their first year, professional responsibility, financial need and contributions to fellow students and the community.
- The Max Berger '71 Public Interest/Public Service Fellows Program at Columbia Law School – BLB&G founder Max Berger and his wife Dale personally endowed this program with Columbia University to provide support for law students interested in pursuing careers in public service.