FIRE announces new Arthur D. Hellman Fellowship in First Amendment Litigation for law students

FIRE is honored to announce that we have revitalized our highly competitive summer law student program to establish the Arthur D. Hellman Fellowship in First Amendment Litigation to train a new generation of First Amendment litigators. The Hellman Fellowship is a paid opportunity offering a $6,000 stipend for a 10-week program that runs from June through August. We are thrilled to begin accepting applications for this incredible opportunity.

As a Hellman Fellow, law students will have the opportunity to work with FIRE’s civil rights attorneys, advancing FIRE’s mission to defend freedom of speech, expression, and thought at U.S. colleges and universities. Hellman Fellows will work on substantive projects and are expected to provide meaningful contributions to our strategic litigation. FIRE’s civil rights attorneys will train Hellman Fellows on key skills of public interest litigation, including legal writing, media relations, and client interaction. 

The Fellowship is an important tool in the establishment of a structured pipeline to attract, train, and inspire law students committed to freedom of speech. Hellman Fellows will build a long-term relationship with FIRE, with the possibility of returning to work with us as full-time employees, joining our Legal Network where they can take their own cases pro bono, authoring supporting amicus briefs, or serving as our local counsel. 

“FIRE is grateful to Mr. Hellman for his generous investment in the future of free speech and democracy,” said FIRE Vice President of Litigation Darpana Sheth. “And we can’t think of a better namesake for the Hellman Fellows whom we hope will proudly carry forth FIRE’s mission.”

Hellman is a nationally recognized scholar of the federal courts and the First Amendment. In his career, Hellman helped foster a better understanding of the First Amendment and free speech more generally. At the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, Hellman taught First Amendment law for more than 25 years. Hellman is also a senior author of a First Amendment casebook, “First Amendment Law: Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Religion” (5th edition 2022) (with William D. Araiza, Thomas E. Baker, and Ashutosh A. Bhagwat). As a long-time supporter of FIRE, Hellman believes that preserving the spirit of free inquiry at colleges and universities is essential to maintaining a vibrant and healthy American democracy.

Applications for the inaugural 2022 Arthur Hellman Fellowship are closed.