Deadline: October 20, 2026
Applications are open for the Clooney Foundation for Justice (CFJ) Fellowship 2027. The fellowship provides a unique opportunity for early-career African women lawyers to increase their strategic litigation, legal representation and advocacy skills and ultimately become the next generation of justice champions for women and children in Africa. The Programme is administered in partnership with the Legal Empowerment Fund at the Fund for Global Human Rights.
The Fellowship Programme funds and places ten early-career women lawyers in diverse human rights and justice organizations in Kenya, Malawi, South Africa and The Gambia. These include legal aid providers, select universities with legal aid clinics, and government prosecution services to provide legal services for women and children at all stages of the justice process. The Programme equips fellows with the tools they need to advocate for the rights of women and children especially against child marriage and violence against women and children.
Fellows receive immersive practical work experience and hands-on training and carry out a range of duties including legal research, drafting, client support and legal representation in court. In keeping with CFJ’s focus on using technology to increase access to justice through the partnership with Microsoft’s AI for Good Lab and the Oxford Institute of Technology, CFJ fellows will also be trained in and encouraged to apply innovative technological tools to advance their work.
Benefits
- A paid work placement at a human rights organization, a university legal aid clinic, or government legal institution in Kenya, Malawi, The Gambia or South Africa carrying out groundbreaking work to end violence against women and children through legal representation and advice, strategic litigation and the innovative use of technology to inform women of their rights and make prosecutors and pro bono lawyers more efficient.
- Mentorship by the Justice for Women & Children Programme Director, host organizations’ supervisors and human rights experts from the region
- At least one in-person convening with other fellows and supervisors as well as senior CFJ leadership and an extensive monthly online training Programme led by human rights experts
- Access to a global network of leading human rights experts, lawyers, judges, activists and academics as well as other next-generation leaders.
- Enrollment in the CFJ Fellowship Alumni Programme network upon completion of the fellowship year for continued support, knowledge sharing and collaboration
Eligibility
- Applicant should have a law degree from a recognized academic institution;
- Practicing Certificate: The applicant must be admitted to practice as a lawyer in the country of the selected host organization;
- Relevant Work experience:
- Up to 5 years of experience in the legal field following graduation from law school/qualification as a lawyer in your jurisdiction.
- Experience in women’s rights and working in human rights organizations preferred
- Work authorization in the relevant host country:
- Specifically, have the right to work in the host organization’s country: Kenya, Malawi, South Africa, or The Gambia. [Note that costs relating to international relocation and acquiring work authorization cannot be supported].
Relevant Skills/Competencies
- Alignment with CFJ’s mission and goals and those of the relevant host organization
- A demonstrated ability to conduct complex legal analysis and fact-finding
- Excellent research, writing and verbal communication skills
- Self-starter with excellent interpersonal and teamwork skills
- Demonstrated commitment to justice and human rights, and creativity in crafting strategies to advance justice for women and children who are victims of violence or child marriage
- Additional experience working with survivors and/or impacted communities preferred
- Willingness to travel
- Experience working with vulnerable individuals including children or victims of violence would be useful
- Fluency in English required; proficiency in other working languages relevant to the countries of host organizations preferred
Application
Applications for the 2027 class of the CFJ Fellowship Programme will close on October 20, 2026. Those selected for a Fellowship should expect to begin in January 2027.
For more information, visit CFJ Fellowship.
