Soros Justice Fellowships
Open Society-U.S.’s Soros Justice Fellowships fund outstanding individuals to undertake projects that advance reform, spur debate, and catalyze change on a range of issues facing the U.S. criminal justice system.
The Soros Justice Fellowships support outstanding individuals—including lawyers, advocates, grassroots organizers, writers, print and broadcast journalists, artists, filmmakers, and other individuals with distinctive voices—to undertake full-time projects that engage and inform, spur debate and conversation, change policy or practice, and catalyze change around the U.S. criminal legal system at the local, state, and national levels. Fellowships can be either 12 or 18 months in duration, may be undertaken with the support of a host organization, and should begin in the fall of 2024.
There are two fellowship tracks: Track I, which is for people at the earlier stages of their careers and who demonstrate the potential to develop into leaders and important voices in their respective fields; and Track II, which is for more experienced individuals with a proven record of achievement and expertise.
12 or 18 months
Track I comes with a grant of $100,000 over 18 months and Track II comes with a grant of $140,000 over 18 months (grants for both tracks are prorated for 12-month projects).
Track I
Track I applicants must have at least two (2) years of relevant experience, which may include: full-time and part-time employment; paid or unpaid internships; sustained volunteer work; or other pertinent experience (e.g. advocacy while incarcerated). Track I is for people at a range of phases in their careers, including but not limited to: people just entering the field following post-graduate education; advocates or media makers with several years of work experience and some degree of achievement; and those beginning to work on criminal legal issues after a career in another field or after some other life experience.
Track II
Track II applicants must have at least ten (10) years of relevant experience. Track II is for seasoned, established, and accomplished leaders and voices in the field—ideally people who have distinguished themselves on a local, state, or national level; and who have the kind of stature, record of accomplishment, experience, and capacity necessary to have a meaningful impact on the issue or issues their projects seek to take on.
Education
All applicants must have at least a high school diploma or its equivalent.
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