A chance for law students to study with world-class legal experts, receive personalized career coaching, and join a community dedicated to Jewish and American ideals
A chance for law students to study with world-class legal experts, receive personalized career coaching, and join a community dedicated to Jewish and American ideals
Program Dates
June 2-9, 2027
Application Deadline
January 7, 2027
Eligibility
Current 1L students
Partnership
The Tikvah Legal Fellowship is run in conjunction with ADF’s Blackstone Fellowship.
Since its founding, Tikvah has brought together young people to study great texts and consider pressing issues with experts in Jewish thought, the Western canon, and public affairs. Many hundreds of talented students have benefited from Tikvah’s summer seminars, college fellowships, and advanced institutes — and many have been inspired to give back to their country and their communities in their professional lives. It is no coincidence that a substantial number of Tikvah’s most exceptional alumni have gone on to pursue legal careers. Law school is a crucial gateway to effective advocacy of many of the causes Tikvah is concerned with: religious liberty, freedom of speech on campus, a strong alliance between the United States and Israel, school choice, and others. Tikvah’s Rotter Family Legal Fellowship exists to train exceptional law students in the ideas animating these causes and the practical demands of their legal protection.
The program consists of three components:
1. The Rotter Family Legal Fellowship Retreat
This is a five-day, in-person conference with the Blackstone Legal Fellowship from June 2-9, 2027. Fellows will study the moral foundations and power of the law, receive mentorship from preeminent legal scholars, and meet with a vibrant and growing community of Christian law students — natural allies in the constitutionalist movement.
2. The Summer Internship
Fellows who have not already committed to a summer internship upon acceptance will be matched with legal organizations that are actively working to preserve civil liberty for Jews and other people of faith.
3. The Stipend Project (Optional)
Fellows have the option to pursue a $2,000 stipend. It will be awarded to Fellows who complete a significant project with a partner organization aligned with our mission and values by the end of their first semester as second-year law students.
We are proud to introduce the 2026 cohort of Tikvah Legal Fellows!
Tikvah is an educational institution and think-tank dedicated to advancing Hebraic ideas, strengthening the American project, deepening the bond between America and Israel, and bringing together Jews and Christians committed to the renewal of Western civilization. Through its educational programs, fellowships, media platforms, and public initiatives, Tikvah advances serious engagement with the enduring wisdom of the Jewish tradition and the great challenges facing the Jewish people, America, and the Western world.
The Rotter Family Legal Fellowship aims to build and engage a community of distinguished attorneys committed to American civic ideals and Jewish excellence. With this in mind, the Fellowship is designed primarily for students who are completing their first year in law school. However, students completing their second year in law school — and in exceptional circumstances, their third year — may also be admitted to the program and are encouraged to apply.
Tikvah seeks applicants who demonstrate strong character and leadership potential. Applicants are evaluated based on their combination of academic performance; existing and emerging leadership skills; commitment to legal and cultural engagement in Jewish and public spheres; and maturity of faith and character.
We will accept between twelve and fifteen applicants.
Yes. And please be in touch with our programs staff directly if you have not already to let us know you are applying!
The mandatory programming for the Fellowship — including full accommodations at the Blackstone Legal Fellowship — is free of charge. An optional stipend of $2,000 is available upon request. Each project must be submitted for review and pre-approved by Fellowship staff.
The entire program will be conducted with respect for Jewish observance. Glatt Kosher food and beverages will be provided daily.
Tikvah advances Jewish excellence and Western civilization through education and ideas. Through its educational programs and institutions, Tikvah is shaping the rising generation of Jewish, Zionist, and American leaders. And through its media ventures, academic press, and wide array of conferences and events, Tikvah is advancing the most serious thinking about the great challenges facing the Jewish people.
The Tikvah model aims to form young Jews with moral confidence and civic courage, informed by the hard-won lessons of Jewish history and devoted to strengthening Jewish civilization in the many arenas of civic life.
Tikvah operates schools, intensive fellowships, summer institutes, and honors programs for students of all ages. We work closely with Jewish parents, educators, day schools, and colleges. We produce publications, podcasts, and online courses that bring Tikvah’s ideas to the world. Through the Tikvah Society and our many membership programs and gatherings, we are building a community of engaged Jews and public-spirited Americans committed to our shared calling.
For more information, please contact:
