Martin Luther King, Jr. Fellowship Program
PLAN created the Martin Luther King Jr. Fellowship Program in 2004. In partnership with a sponsoring regional or specialty program, law school graduates and attorneys who are new to practice are hired as full-time staff attorneys for a two-year fellowship.
Fellows are assigned mentors and supervised by experienced attorneys. Salary and benefits are determined by the host program. Additionally, loan repayment assistance is available during the first two years of employment.
We currently have (2) MLK Fellowship opportunities open:
Third year and recent law school graduates may indicate their interest in the MLK Fellowship program by submitting an application, electronically via email, to Dr. Tevis Bryant, including a letter expressing interest; a resume; a writing sample; an official transcript; and three (3) professional references to:
Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network, Inc.
Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging & HR Operations
MLKPrograms@palegalaid.net
Meet our current Fellows:
Esteban Rodriguez
Program: Regional Housing Legal Services (RHLS)
Education: Temple University Beasley School of Law (2022)
Fellowship Term: 2023 – 2025
Biography:
Esteban is a Staff Attorney and PLAN Martin Luther King, Jr. Fellow working on the development and preservation of affordable housing and other community development efforts.
Prior to joining RHLS, Esteban was an Assistant City Solicitor in the Philadelphia Law Department’s Labor and Employment Unit, representing the city and its departments in various types of litigation. While in law school, he held an internship with Community Legal Services’ housing unit, worked in the chambers of U.S. Magistrate Judge David R. Strawbridge as part of Temple’s Federal Judicial Clerkship Honors Program, and served as a staff editor of Temple Law Review.
Esteban holds a J.D. from Temple University’s Beasley School of Law and a B.A. in both Psychology and Brain & Cognitive Sciences from the University of Rochester. Prior to law school, he worked in higher education development for a national top 10 university and in zoo volunteer management.
Esteban lives in East Germantown with his spouse, two very demanding cats, and one easygoing bearded dragon. Outside of work, you can find him knitting/crocheting, reading something nerdy, or looking up new restaurants to check out.
Mallory Turner (she/her)
Program: MidPenn Legal Services
Education: Penn State Dickinson Law
Fellowship Term: 2024 – 2026
Biography:
Mallory is a Bogue Chitto, Mississippi native that moved to Pennsylvania for law school. The best places to eat back home are usually the restaurants within gas stations and local grocery stores. Mallory enjoys going to museums, traveling, making desserts, learning about history, thrifting, reading multiple genres of books, participating in water activities, and attending live musical performances. Prior to law school, she taught and counseled GED students who inspired me to achieve my long-term career goal of becoming a lawyer. She also knew that she wanted to incorporate public interest into her post law school career due to enjoying working with students.