The Leadership & Advocacy for Women in Africa (LAWA) Fellowship Program was founded in 1993 at the Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, DC, in order to train women’s human rights lawyers from Africa who are committed to returning home to their countries to advance the status of women and girls throughout their careers.The entire LAWA Fellowship Program is approximately 14 months long – from July of the first year through late August of the following year. The LAWA Program starts in early July, when the Fellows attend the Foundations of American Law and U.S. Legal English courses. From August through May, the LAWA Fellows earn a Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree at Georgetown with an emphasis on international women’s human rights and complete a major graduate thesis. Fellows are also welcome to apply for a specialized LL.M. or certificate program. Fellows also participate in professional development seminars and networking events with recent U.S. law school graduates who are working in the field of women’s rights. After graduation, the LAWA Fellows have the option to complete an internship, but not every Fellow finds an appropriate internship placement or is selected by an organization to intern.
