For more than 30 years, the University of Wisconsin's William H. Hastie Fellowship Program has provided an opportunity for lawyers of color to prepare for a career in law teaching. The Hastie Fellowship is customarily a two-year program, leading to an LL.M. degree. Candidates pursue a scholarly interest of their choice and are encouraged both to pursue publishable research for their thesis and to demonstrate a capacity to contribute as a scholar to legal studies.
William H. Hastie
The University of Wisconsin established the Hastie Fellowship in 1973. It honors William H. Hastie (1904-1976), a lawyer, teacher, jurist, and civil rights advocate who championed the importance of high-quality legal education. University of Wisconsin Law School Professor James E. Jones, Jr., now professor emeritus, well-known as a leading expert in labor law and as the architect of several significant programs aimed at achieving greater racial equality in the work force, was a moving force in creating this program.
The Program
The Hastie Fellowship Program encourages scholarship in the full range of law studies, including law as related to minorities. The strong Wisconsin tradition for studies of the law in action and for interdisciplinary work creates a particularly supportive atmosphere for those with these interests. Candidates are encouraged to take full advantage of long-established ties between the law faculty and faculty in other disciplines, and they will have easy access to the vast resources of the entire University.
Each Hastie fellow, before beginning work, establishes a relationship with several faculty members who will constitute his or her advisory committee. One of the three committee members will serve as the Hastie fellow's principal research advisor, guiding the fellow's research project.
Highest priority is attached to the production of a thesis that
meets the requirements of the Graduate Committee of the Law School.
Most fellows base an article on the thesis. Ideally such an article
should be ready for submission prior to completion of the program.
The thesis work has proven of great value to Hastie Fellows in
demonstrating scholarly ability to prospective employers.
Another important aspect of the Hastie Fellowship Program is to
help each fellow develop strong teaching skills. Whenever possible,
in the final semester of the program, the Hastie fellow works with
an experienced faculty member to teach a course or seminar in an
area of interest to the fellow.
Fellows are encouraged to become involved in the life of the law school by attending colloquia, faculty meetings, and social gatherings; engaging with the many scholars and public officials who visit at the school each year; participating in student-sponsored activities; and simply joining in the oftentimes rich exchanges that occur over lunch or morning coffee. The Hastie fellow is treated more as a junior colleague than as a graduate student. If time permits, Hastie fellows may take one or more courses (for credit or audit) to broaden their knowledge generally, to acquire knowledge relevant to research or to learn about teaching styles. But such enrollment is not encouraged if it is at the cost of completing work on the thesis and not essential to that work.
Fellowship Term
The term and internal sequence of the Hastie program are designed to accommodate the need for intensive research and writing, participation in the hiring process of law schools, and gaining some teaching experience. Hastie fellows will be appointed for a term of usually two years. During the term of the appointment, fellows are required to be in residence in Madison and enrolled in the Law School, with a commitment to participating fully in the life of the law school.
Applications for the program are solicited in the fall of each year. (Application information is given below or click here.)
The first year of the program is devoted exclusively to work on the thesis. Fellows are discouraged from pursuing any employment opportunities during this period. By the fall of the second year, it is expected that Hastie fellows will be sufficiently advanced in their research to enable them, as they seek employment, to submit their draft materials and make oral presentations based on their work. The final semester in residence focuses on providing, whenever possible, a teaching experience and finishing work on the thesis or publication derived from it.
Program Graduates
Hastie fellows have served or are now serving on the faculties of law schools throughout the country. Our graduates include:
Mario
Barnes (2004)
Associate Professor of Law
University of Miami School of Law
Robin D.
Barnes (1991)
Professor of Law
University of Connecticut School of Law
Daniel O.
Bernstine (1975)
[Former Dean of the University of Wisconsin Law School]
President and CEO
Law School Admissions Council
Pamela
Bridgewater (2000)
Professor of Law
American University, Washington College of Law
Kimberle Williams Crenshaw (1985)
Professor of Law
Columbia and UCLA Law School
David DeHorse (2006)
Madison, Wisconsin
Ruben Garcia (2002)
Associate Professor of Law
California Western School of Law
Michele
Goodwin (2000)
Professor of Law
University of Minnesota Law School
Michael
Green (1999)
Professor of Law
Florida State University College of Law
Donald Harris (2003)
Associate Professor of Law
Temple University
Del
Laverdure (1999)
Assistant Professor of Law & Director of the American Indian
Law Program
Michigan State-DCL College of Law
Stacy L.
Leeds (2000)
Professor of Law
University of Kansas Law School
Ruth
Hokulei Lindsey (2006)
Professor of Law
Southern Illinois University School of Law
Thomas W.
Mitchell (1999)
Associate Professor of Law
University of Wisconsin Law School
Adele
Morrison (2003)
Associate Professor of Law
Northern Illinois University College of Law
Victoria Palacios
(1976)
Associate Professor of Law
Southern Methodist University School of Law
Stephanie L. Phillips
Professor of Law
University at Buffalo Law School
The State University of New York
D. Daniel
Sokol (2007)
Assistant Professor of Law
University of Florida Levin College of Law
Donald Tibbs
(2007)
Assistant Professor & Institute Director
Southern University Law Center
Winnie F.
Taylor (1979)
Professor of Law
Brooklyn Law School
Ruth
Witherspoon (1982)
Interim Dean
Florida A & M University College of Law
Application Process
To apply for the Hastie fellowship, an applicant should submit:
- a current résumé
- official transcripts from all higher education institutions you attended (undergraduate, law school, and possible others, depending on your situation)
- a completed graduate admission application AND a record of residence
- a research proposal (The research proposal is a critical part of the application process, but it need not be detailed. Our experience is that it is helpful to have a general indication of the applicant's interest so that we can involve one or more members of the faculty who share this interest in the review process, and be assured that the research will have the active interest and involvement of a faculty member who will then serve as the Hastie fellow's advisor. The specific focus of the research will most likely be altered or refined through the initial collaboration of the fellow and his or her advisor.)
- a short statement explaining the interest in the Hastie Fellowship
- three original letters of reference from persons who can, in detail, assess the applicant's past performance and his or her potential as both teacher and scholar. The letters should be on letterhead and should have a waiver attached. (The statutory provisions related to the record of residence are available here for your information.)
The application and supporting materials should be sent to:
Hastie Fellowship
Graduate Admissions Program
University of Wisconsin Law School
975 Bascom Mall, Room 4312
Madison, WI 53706-1399
The Hastie Committee reviews all completed applications as soon as possible after the deadline date. In some instances, candidates are invited to visit the campus to provide a greater opportunity for interviews.
Remuneration and Support Services
The fellowship provides a stipend, which is increased from time to time to reflect the local cost of living. Information about the stipend is available upon request; please contact gradprog@law.wisc.edu The fellow is responsible for paying the University's special fees each semester (around $500/ semester); other tuition fees are waived as part of the fellowship. Complete fringe benefits are available for a modest cost and may include medical insurance, dental care, and major catastrophic and life insurance.
In addition to the stipend, the law school furnishes support services. Each fellow is provided a private office located within the Law School's library wing to facilitate access to research materials. Word processing equipment is provided, as are office supplies and photocopying.
For further information contact Professor Peter Carstensen, University of Wisconsin Law School. Tel: (608) 263-7416 or email: pccarste@wisc.edu