Background
The Michigan Holistic Defense Fellowship is a paid professional opportunity for 12 law and social work
students to spend a summer working at one of six public defender offices in Michigan engaged in the
practice of holistic defense. Holistic defense is a multifaceted approach to legal representation that
recognizes the many social and legal challenges that can drive an individual into the criminal legal system
and the collateral or enmeshed consequences that may result from an individual’s contact with the system.
These potential consequences include effects on a person’s immigration status, housing and employment
opportunities, access to public benefits, voting rights, and the custody of children. Holistic defense seeks
to serve a client’s myriad legal and social needs in addition to defending against the imposition of
traditional criminal penalties. While models of holistic defense vary, at its core, the practice involves an
interdisciplinary collaboration between various professionals, such as attorneys who practice criminal
defense, civil, immigration, and family law, social workers, and other types of advocates. Candidates who
wish to be considered must apply to the program in part using the Google Form.
2025 Law Fellow Application Period
Applications for the Summer 2025 Holistic Defense Law Fellowship open on Oct. 1st and close on Oct.
31st, 2024 at 11:59pm (Eastern Time). The Fellowship Director will confirm receipt of your complete
application during normal business hours. Please note that applicants who fail to submit each of the
required application elements by the close of the application period will not be considered.
Fellowship Fieldwork & Dates
Fellows selected for this program are required to perform a minimum of 320 hours of fieldwork at their
fellowship site over a minimum of 10 weeks. Fellows will begin their fieldwork during the final week in
May 2025. An introductory training not to exceed four hours will be held the week prior to the start of the
fellowship. All fieldwork hours must be completed by the end of the first week of August. Generally
speaking, fieldwork hours should be spread evenly over the course of the Fellowship. It is the
responsibility of the fellow and the placement site to define a work schedule.
Selection of Placements
The Fellowship is an intensive, in-person experience. It is understood that candidates who apply for
consideration at a placement site in a county they do not live in are willing to relocate for the summer to a commutable distance from their site. Fellowship sites may be able to assist fellows in finding temporary housing for the summer. In this application, you will indicate which sites you are interested in being
placed at. There is no minimum or maximum number of sites you may select, but you should not select
any placement site where you would not seriously consider accepting an offer. Your completed
application package will only be forwarded to those sites you indicate interest in. Before submitting this
application, it is imperative that you read the job description for each of the six placement sites.
Placement Review Period
Once the application period closes on Oct. 31st, your application will be distributed to the placement
partners you selected. Please note that you will not receive a separate confirmation that your application
has been sent to the placements. The placements will conduct their own review of fellowship applications
between Nov. 1st and Nov. 15, 2024. During this period, individual placements may or may not reach out
to applicants. A placement may require additional information, which may include an interview,
background check, and/or a drug test. Some placements may not conduct interviews and instead base their decisions on written applications alone. Please be aware that this is a competitive program and submission of an application does not guarantee that you will be offered a fellowship position.
Responding to Placements
If a placement seeks more information or is interested in conducting an interview, the placement will
reach out directly to you. It is incumbent upon the applicant to be ready for communication from the
placements and respond promptly. Failure to respond promptly may affect whether you receive an offer
and your ability to participate in this fellowship.
Withdrawal of Application
After submitting your application to the program, if you need to withdraw your application for any
reason, you must immediately inform the Fellowship Director, Cassidy Berlin, (Cberlin@mqtco.org), as
well as any placement sites the applicant has communicated with directly.
Offers
At the close of the placement review period on Nov. 15th, offers from the placements will be sent to the
Fellowship Director. The Director will then communicate the offers to applicants. Applicants should
expect to receive an email communication from the Director regarding placement offers between Nov.
16th and Nov. 22nd. Please monitor your email and respond promptly. Failure to respond promptly may
result in the withdrawal of an offer and the inability to participate in the fellowship.
Eligibility
To be eligible for this fellowship, applicants must currently be enrolled in law school OR be a recent law
school graduate with a graduation date less than one year from August 8, 2025. Current law students must have completed all required first-year courses at their law school by the time they begin their fellowship
experience and must be in good academic standing.
Academic Credit
Fellows are permitted to receive academic credit for their participation in the Fellowship if permitted by
their law school. Whether a fellow receives academic credit must be determined directly between the
fellow and their respective institution. The Fellowship Program is not responsible for, nor be involved in,
the provision of academic credit. However, regardless of whether academic credit is received, all fellows
must abide by the requirements of the Fellowship.
Compensation
Fellows will be provided a stipend for their fieldwork by the field placement. Fellows may also be
provided an amount for living expenses in addition to the stipend. Each field placement determines the
amount of the stipend as well as the amount of any compensation provided for living expenses. The
Fellowship is not responsible for establishing the terms of any such arrangement, nor monitoring
compliance thereafter, and any issues regarding compensation or reimbursement are solely between the
fellow and the field placement. Regardless of the amount of compensation, the fellow and the field
placement must abide by the Fellowship Standards and any other requirements established by the
Fellowship. Failure to do so may result in removal of a fellow or field placement from participation in the
Fellowship, at the discretion of the Fellowship.
PART II. SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS
In addition to completing the application form, please attach the following documents in an email to the
Fellowship Director, Cassidy Berlin, at cberlin@mqtco.org. If possible, please attach in PDF
format. Please title your attachments with your full name and the type of attachment (e.g., “Cassidy
Berlin Cover Letter”).
Cover Letter: Your cover letter should be one page in length and should explain your interest in indigent
criminal defense and the fellowship. You do not need to write separate cover letters for each placement
site you would like to be considered by. You may address your cover letter to “Dear Placement Partners”.
Resume: 2-page maximum.
Law School Transcripts: You may submit official or unofficial transcripts for this requirement. If a
particular placement partner requires an official transcript after your application submission, you will be
informed by the placement.
A Writing Sample: Your writing sample can be a previously submitted work from school or a
professional experience but should come to a length of at least two pages when double-spaced.
Letters of Recommendation (OPTIONAL): You are not required to submit letters of recommendation
but may submit up to three if you would like. There are no restrictions on who may author your letters,
but the authors must email their letters to the Fellowship Director. Submitted letters of recommendation
that are emailed to the Fellowship Director by applicants themselves will not be accepted.
Your application will be complete when you have submitted this Applicant Information Form AND the list
of required documents above. Please email all required attachments and questions to Fellowship Director
Cassidy Berlin at Cberlin@mqtco.org. You will receive a confirmation email during normal business
hours that your application materials have been received.