RAPPAPORT FELLOWS PROGRAM IN LAW & PUBLIC POLICY : FEATURES OF THE PROGRAM

The Rappaport Fellows Program in Law and Public Policy is built around a series of experiences and activities that blend the practical and the intellectual elements of public service law and civic leadership. For the selected Rappaport Fellows, there are three major components to the year-long program.

Rappaport Fellows are placed primarily at a Boston-area government agencies, or in some cases at non-profit organizations where public policy initiatives are a critical part of the enterprise. Each Rappaport Fellow will complete a paid summer internship with a Boston-area government employer that focuses on urban law and policy issues. The summer internship stipend is $7,000 for ten weeks of full-time work and the completion of a paper addressing legal or policy issues arising out of his/her internship.

The internship placements are in state or municipal government offices and agencies, except when there is a non-profit placement that provides an extraordinary opportunity exceeding in quality government placements in a particular policy area. The actual work may involve policy research, analysis, development or implementation, and/or economic and community development.

Each Rappaport Fellow is matched with a mentor who is selected on the basis of the student's professional interests and who works somewhere other than the location of the student's internship. Through this mentoring program, the Rappaport Fellows are provided with yet another valuable source of advice and support.

Rappaport Fellows participate in evening seminars and guest lectures, exposing the Fellows to some of the top policy minds in the nation. These weekly lectures also afford an opportunity to share work experiences on an on-going basis. To enhance the academic experience of the internship, the Fellows are required to submit a paper at project’s end.

The Rappaport Fellows Program enjoys an ongoing association with the Rappaport Institute of Greater Boston at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. The Rappaport Institute of Greater Boston has been established to examine public policy issues of particular importance to the Boston metropolitan region. On frequent occasion, law students from the Rappaport Fellows Program and government students from the Rappaport Institute meet as a group for seminars and other enrichment events.

During the summer, the Rappaport Fellows meet weekly for discussions on topics related to public service, civic leadership, and urban law and policy in the Greater Boston region. Leading lawyers, government officials, and community leaders share their experiences, insights, and advice. Roughly half of the sessions are held jointly with students from the Rappaport Institute for Greater Boston at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.

Past seminar speakers have included former Massachusetts governor and 1988 Democratic presidential nominee Michael Dukakis, State Senator Marian Walsh, State Representative Linda Dorcena Forry, Director of Boston’s Dept. of Neighborhood Development Charlotte Golar Richie, Former Chief of Staff to Mayor Meniao Merita Hopkins, as well as several attorneys involved in government and public interest practices. We anticipate hosting a stimulating group of speakers each summer.