YSRP Summer Graduate Student (JD or MSW) Fellowships

Background: The Youth Sentencing & Reentry Project (YSRP) seeks applications from qualified first- and second-year law students and Master of Social Work students to fill two summer fellowships  in 2025. Starting January 1, applications will be reviewed and responded to on a rolling basis.  

Job Description: Summer fellows will be asked to work on a number of projects and activities, including but not limited to:  

  • - Mitigation investigations and report writing for YSRP’s client-partners who are youth charged as adults,

  • - Supporting youth in their reentry to the community,

  • - Research to support policy advocacy efforts, 

  • - Support with other programs such as Know Your Rights, Speakers Bureau, and Intergenerational Healing Circles

  • - Occasional administrative tasks.

Ideal candidates will be comfortable working independently and will be interested in working in a small, fast-paced environment. We expect the fellowship to include face-to-face contact with incarcerated individuals and their families. Applicants should have a working knowledge of criminal procedure and a commitment to providing holistic, comprehensive, partnership-oriented support to the youth and families served by YSRP. 


Compensation & Timing: Each fellowship provides a stipend of $3,500 for the summer (pending budget approval, and paid at an hourly rate). The ideal candidate will be available for a 10-week commitment beginning in late May or early June 2025. Start and end dates are flexible. 

To Apply: Please submit your resume and a list of three references along with brief answers to the following four questions (in place of a cover letter) to hiring@ysrp.org:

  1. 1. How did you learn about this fellowship?

  2. 2. Why do you want to join YSRP’s team?

  3. 3. What skills/experience (either professional or personal) do you bring that will make you a good partner to our youth client-partners?

  4. 4. In what ways do you prioritize racial justice and/or ending mass incarceration in your life and experience?


We will accept applications on a rolling basis until the positions are filled, or by January 24. Questions about the application process can be directed to the same email address.

YSRP is committed to ensuring that our staff, including our student fellows, reflect the client-partners and communities we serve.  We strongly encourage students from diverse backgrounds to apply for our fellowship, including those personally affected by the criminal justice system.  In your cover letter, we invite you to tell us how your unique background and/or experiences can contribute to the diversity, vitality, and cultural perspective of our advocacy efforts, staff, and client-partners.