Application for Rural Lawyers & Firms Seeking to Employ a Fellow

Lawyers and firms employing a Fellow receive these benefits:

  • Attorneys admitted to practice will receive MCLE credit in connection with the program.
  • Assistance in identifying and hiring qualified, prescreened summer clerks and associates.
  • Access to high-quality training and support to help integrate a Fellow into your business.
  • Subsidize the salary you can pay so you can attract high-quality employees. Stipends will be paid directly to the Fellows who are selected for the Rural Practice Fellowship Program.
    • Stipend of $5,000 paid to summer clerks;
    • Stipend of $10,000 paid to associates ($5,000 at the beginning of the Program and $5,000 to be paid to the associate after successful completion of the first year of the Program).

Requirements and Terms

To be eligible to employ a Fellow through the Rural Practice Fellowship Program, the following requirements must be met:

  • Supervising Attorney(s) must:
    • Be registered as active and in good standing on the Illinois ARDC Master Roll of Attorneys and not the subject of an open ethics inquiry or disciplinary action in any state or jurisdiction;
    • Not have ever been suspended or disbarred from the practice of law in any state or jurisdiction;
    • Have been admitted to practice for five years or more; and
    • Participate in all required Rural Practice Fellowship Program training and events.
  • Supervising Attorney(s) and all other firm members must:
    • Be active ISBA members or become members of the ISBA to participate in the Rural Practice Fellowship Program; and
    • Provide an Associate Fellow with the opportunity to perform pro bono work as defined in Rule 756(f).
  • The Firm must:
    • Have valid malpractice insurance coverage that includes the Fellow and maintain that coverage for the duration of the Rural Practice Fellowship Program;
    • For Summer Law Clerks, provide fulltime work for a minimum of 8 weeks;
    • For Associate Fellows, provide fulltime work for a minimum of 1 year;
    • For Associate Fellows, offer fulltime employment to the Associate Fellow pending bar exam results, if applicable; and
    • Provide compensation to the Fellow in addition to the stipend paid to the Fellow through the Rural Practice Fellowship Program.

By applying for this program, you also agree to the following terms:

  • All potential Fellows must apply to the Rural Practice Fellowship Program and must be screened by the Rural Practice Fellowship Program Committee. All potential Fellows must be selected by the Firm applicant from the screened Fellow application pool.
  • The firm is not guaranteed the placement of a summer clerk or permanent associate. 
  • The firm is expected to use good faith efforts to make at least one offer to a summer clerk or a permanent associate by March 28, 2025.
  • Fellows will not be employees of the ISBA, and I will follow all payroll laws, and other laws, including the minimum wage of Illinois.

All Program requirements and terms are contained in a Fellowship and Stipend Agreement which must be signed by each selected Fellow prior to beginning the Program.

See Sample Fellowship and Stipend Agreements for Program Requirements and Terms

About the application and selection process

We recommend composing your answers to the longer questions in a separate document for backup in case there is a problem submitting the form.

You can save a draft of your application by pressing the Save Draft button at the bottom of the form, if you will be away from the form. Please use the submit button when you are completely finished.

Please note that, except as otherwise noted, the information provided in this application will be provided to prospective fellows matches through this program.

The ISBA is dedicated to the aims of diversity and strongly encourages applications from persons of color, people with disabilities, veterans, women, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and other members of historically disadvantaged groups.

Deadline for applications is February 7, 2025.

After the application deadline passes, Fellow applications will be matched with rural firm applications by geographical location. Potential matches (contact information and materials) will be sent to Fellow and Firm applications the week of February 24, 2025.

All applicants are required to attend an Applicant Career Fair on Friday, February 28, 2025 from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. via Zoom. You will be able to meet each potentially matched Fellow during this time. More information and the Zoom link for the Career Fair will be sent to you via email the week following the application deadline on February 7, 2025.

The Fellowship interview period then runs February 28, 2025 through March 28, 2025. During this period, potentially matched Fellows and Firms should communicate, schedule, and hold formal job interviews. Employment offers should be made, accepted, and reported to the ISBA by 4:30 p.m. on March 28, 2025.

All accepted job offers will then be reviewed by the Rural Practice Fellowship committee and Fellows will be selected and announced by April 25, 2025.

The 2025 Summer Clerk Fellowship Program begins in late May/early June 2025 and ends in late July/early August 2025.

The 2025-26 Associate Fellowship Program begins August 1, 2025, and ends August 1, 2026.

The form cannot be submitted if this page stays open for more than two days.
Contact Information

Note: Only private law firms are eligible to apply for the Rural Practice Fellowship Program. This form should be completed by the attorney in your firm who would be the primary supervisor of a Fellow (law clerk or associate attorney), if your firm is selected for the program.

Application
To qualify for inclusion in the Rural Practice Fellowship Program, your firm must hire a fellow to work at an office in a rural county in Illinois or qualify for an exception. This includes all Illinois counties except: Cook, Will, DuPage, Lake, Sangamon, Macon, St. Clair, Madison, Peoria, Champaign, McLean, and Winnebago.
Answer the following three questions only if your firm is interested in hiring a law clerk
Fellows in this program will be provided with a stipend to assist with living expenses during the program.
*Please include the name of the law clerk or associate, the law clerk or associate’s relationship with any member of the firm, and whether you are willing to accept matches for other potential Fellows, or only the law clerk or associate for which you have a prior employment relationship.   *Please note that the law clerk or associate you reference in this section must also timely submit an application to be considered for the Program.   *Please also note that when selecting Fellows, the Rural Practice Initiative Committee will give preference to employment relationships formed as a result of the Rural Practice Fellowship Program application matching process.
I understand and agree to all the requirements and terms for participation in the program.