John G. Brooks Consumer Law Fellowships
NLADA/NCLC Consumer Law Fellowship Program
Goals of the Consumer Law Fellowships
The National Legal Aid & Defender Association has additional funding to award grants
to a limited number of legal services programs to support Consumer Law Fellowships.
These fellowships are in addition to the grants awarded to eight programs for 2005 - 2007
(click here for more information about these
eight fellowships) and seven programs for 2006 - 2008
(click here for more information about
these seven fellowships). Both the prior and new funding for these fellowships is the result of
discrimination lawsuits on behalf of African-American and Latino consumers in which the National
Consumer Law Center was co-counsel.
The John G. Brooks Consumer Law Fellowships
are intended to support the development and enhancement of advocacy on consumer law
and consumer finance issues for low-income clients, with at least a substantial focus on low-income
minority consumers. The Consumer Law Fellows will be expected to engage in direct client
representation, litigation, administrative advocacy, and/or legislative advocacy on issues such as
consumer fraud, debt collection, energy assistance, consumer finance, predatory lending, auto finance,
and sustainable home ownership.
Fellowship Selection Process
The fellowships will be awarded on a competitive basis. Priority will be given to programs that can
demonstrate a permanent commitment to new or expanded consumer law advocacy serving a substantial
number of non-white, low-income consumers affected by predatory lending practices. Long-term
viability for a program of consumer law advocacy will be valued highly in this process. Applicants
must be non-profit legal services organizations (either LSC-funded or non-LSC funded).
A review panel will evaluate all applications against criteria consistent with the
stated goals and ability of the applicant to provide necessary monetary, administrative,
and supervisory support to the Fellowship program and future consumer law work.
The panel may request additional information from applicants during the review process.
Availability of Funds
Funding for the fellowships will be available as of April 1, 2007. The grants will be $30,000 in the
first year and $30,000 in the second year. Grant awards will be announced in November 2006, and the
programs that are selected will be expected to have designated the Consumer Law Fellows by April 1,
2007. The grant may be used either to hire new staff or to enable an experienced staff member to
transfer to consumer law work. Programs will be required to provide or obtain funds to meet the
expenses that the grant does not cover. Fellowships will be funded for two years, but the second
year of funding will be contingent on a review of the program’s use of the grant and the activities
of the Fellow.
Programs may provide a name for their awarded Fellowship to honor a donor or other person,
or to enhance a fundraising or public relations effort.
An IRS tax exemption approval letter will be required before any funds are distributed.
Application Due Date: September 15, 2006
Applications must be received, electronically or via mail, on or before September 15, 2006 at the
offices of the National Legal Aid & Defender Association located at 1140 Connecticut Avenue NW,
Suite 900, Washington DC 20036. Applications may be sent electronically to Don Saunders at
d.saunders@nlada.org.
The applications that programs submitted in 2004 and 2005 will not be considered in this
competition; your program must submit a new application to be considered for this round of fellowships.
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