Paid Fellowship for African Women Lawyers

The Clooney Foundation for Justice places ten early-career African women lawyers in a paid, full-time year at human rights organisations, university legal aid clinics and prosecution services in Kenya, Malawi, South Africa and The Gambia. Fellows do real casework defending women and children against violence and child marriage, including at least one major strategic litigation case with CFJ. The programme, formerly the Waging Justice for Women Fellowship, runs in partnership with the Legal Empowerment Fund at the Fund for Global Human Rights.

What you get:

• A paid, full-time one-year placement from January to December 2027, with a competitive gross annual salary in local currency paid by the host organisation
• Mentorship from CFJ's Justice for Women and Children Programme Director, host supervisors and human rights experts from the region
• At least one in-person convening with other fellows and senior CFJ leadership, plus a monthly online training programme
• Training in technology tools for access to justice, linked to CFJ's work with Microsoft's AI for Good Lab and the Oxford Institute of Technology and Justice
• Access to a network of human rights lawyers, judges, activists and academics, and membership of the CFJ Fellowship Alumni network afterwards

What you'll do:

• Work in person at one host organisation for the whole year on legal assistance, research, drafting, representation in court and advocacy for women and children
• Identify and support at least one strategic litigation case with CFJ in a national, regional or international court or body
• Run at least two outreach activities for students on the rights of women and children
• Take part in the programme's mentoring, training and networking activities

Key dates:

• Applications opened September 8, 2026
• Applications close October 20, 2026 at 12:00 noon SAST
• Fellowship runs full time from January to December 2027

More information:

• Only shortlisted candidates are contacted
• Relocation and work authorisation costs are not covered, so you must already have the right to work in the host country
• 2027 hosts: CHREAA, Women Lawyers Association, Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Legal Aid Bureau and University of Malawi (Malawi); Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria (South Africa); FLAG and IHRDA (The Gambia); Katiba Institute (Kenya)

• Women lawyers early in their careers, up to 5 years of legal experience after graduating law school or qualifying as a lawyer
• A law degree from a recognised academic institution
• Admitted to practise as a lawyer in the country of your chosen host organisation: Kenya, Malawi, South Africa or The Gambia
• The right to work in that host country; relocation and work authorisation costs cannot be supported
• Available full time and in person from January to December 2027, based in the host country
• Fluent in English; other working languages of the host countries preferred
• Experience in women's rights, human rights organisations or with survivors of violence preferred
• Application: online form with experience summary, statement of interest, a CV of no more than two pages in PDF, and two professional references