Rapoport Center Human Rights Scholar Application

Call for Applications: Rapoport Center Human Rights Scholars

The Bernard and Audre Rapoport Center for Human Rights and Justice at the University of Texas School of Law is now accepting scholarship applications from UT law students to serve as Human Rights Scholars for the 2025–26 academic year. Human Rights Scholars help advance the Rapoport Center’s human rights programming, promote connections with UT Austin’s interdisciplinary human rights community, and provide support for the Center’s projects.
The Rapoport Center operates as a vibrant, interdisciplinary hub for human rights and social justice research, teaching, networking, and advocacy. Among its projects it houses the Sissy Farenthold Fund for Peace and Social Justice. The Center and Fund regularly convene workshops and public events that bring together academics and activists; engage in research and publication of scholarship and reports; and support faculty and student research, creative work, and advocacy.
The Center plans to award three scholarships, at least one of which will be dedicated to work in reproductive justice (see below). Each Human Rights Scholar will receive a $6,000 scholarship and spend an average of 10-12 hours/week at the Center over the fall and spring academic semesters. Rising 2Ls and 3Ls, as well as LL.M. students, are eligible to apply.
As part of their scholarship with the Rapoport Center, Human Rights Scholars may:

provide legal and scholarly research support to Center staff;
coordinate the editorial board for the Center’s Working Paper Series;
help plan an academic conference, workshop, or speaker series, with a particular focus on the Center’s thematic priorities (environmental justice, peace, and reproductive justice);
promote and attend Rapoport Center events;
provide new ideas for Rapoport Center programs;
collaborate with the Rapoport Center’s partners on and off campus;
network with graduate affiliates and alumni;
identify professional opportunities in human rights and social justice and publicize them for students and alumni; and
provide mentorship to undergraduate students and first year law students, including through events with the Center’s Human Rights and Global Justice Cohort.

At least one Human Rights Scholar will be designated as the Sissy Farenthold Scholar in Reproductive Justice. The Reproductive Justice Scholar will support Rapoport Center staff affiliated with the Sissy Farenthold Reproductive Justice Defense Project (see below).
Visit our website for more information, including application instructions. Applications for the standard Human Rights Scholar position and the Reproductive Justice Scholar must be submitted by midnight on June 15, 2025. Questions? Contact Caroline Hahn at carolinehahn@austin.utexas.edu.

About the Sissy Farenthold Scholar in Reproductive Justice
The Bernard and Audre Rapoport Center for Human Rights and Justice is pleased to offer a $6,000 scholarship for a Texas Law student to serve as a Sissy Farenthold Scholar in Reproductive Justice for the 2025-2026 academic year, as part of the Center's Human Rights Scholars program. The Reproductive Justice Scholar will support Rapoport Center staff affiliated with the Sissy Farenthold Reproductive Justice Defense Project.

Working at the intersection of criminal law and reproductive justice, the Project provides education and resources for lawyers, the public, and reproductive justice and advocacy organizations; tracks criminal prosecutions and civil suits in Texas related to pregnancy and abortion; and serves as a transnational hub for academic research and advocacy regarding the criminalization of pregnancy. In the process, the Project hopes to deter investigations of and prosecutions for pregnancy-related offenses and increase the ability of individuals and communities, in the words of the Atlanta-based organization SisterSong, to “maintain personal bodily autonomy, have children, not have children, and parent the children we have in safe and sustainable communities.”

The Reproductive Justice Scholar will work under the direction of Project Director Blake Rocap and Criminal Defense Lead Cristina I. Ramirez, and alongside Rapoport Center faculty and staff, as well as undergraduate interns and other law students. This position is designed for a law student seeking hands-on research and experience in the fields of reproductive rights and/or criminal defense. It is also an excellent opportunity for a student interested in pursuing a career at an academic research center or legal non-profit. We encourage applications from those with a demonstrated commitment to social and reproductive justice.
The Reproductive Justice Scholar’s responsibilities will depend upon the priorities of the Project but will likely include:

legal research and writing on reproductive justice issues, primarily in, but not exclusive to, Texas;
helping in the tracking of criminal and civil cases in Texas related to pregnancy outcomes as part of a tracking collaborative with national advocacy groups and other law schools, including retrieving and cataloging legal documents from Texas court systems and law enforcement agencies;
supporting outreach to Texas-based and national legal service providers as well as to local, national, and international partners;
assisting in the preparation and coordination of training materials, legal resource pamphlets, presentations, and other support for attorneys, healthcare providers, and the public in Texas and across the country;
facilitating interdisciplinary relationships and communication across the UT campus on issues at the intersection of reproductive and criminal justice;
attend weekly team meetings and other events hosted by the Rapoport Center and the Reproductive Justice Defense Project.

The Sissy Farenthold Scholar in Reproductive Justice will receive a $6,000 scholarship and spend an average of 10-12 hours/week at the Center over the course of the year. Rising 2Ls and 3Ls, as well as LL.M. students, are eligible to apply. Applications are due June 15, 2025.

1. Name

Given Name(s)

Surname(s) or Family Name(s)

2. UT EID

EID

3. Preferred Email

4. Phone Number

5. What will be your class standing for the 2024-2025 academic year?

2L
3L
LLM
Other (please specify)

6. Law School GPA

Cumulative GPA

7. Summer Plans

Please describe your professional or academic plans for the upcoming summer.

8. Fall Semester Plans (Coursework)

Please list the number of credit hours you are taking and any courses you intend to take this fall.

9. Academic Year Plans (Extracurricular Activities)

Are you involved, signed up for, or have applications pending for any extracurricular activities (Law Review, Public Service Scholars, student groups) this coming academic year? If so, please describe below and estimate how much time per week you will be devoting to these activities.

10a. Language skills

Are you proficient in a language other than English?

Yes
No

10b. Please list the languages in which you are proficient:

11. Please describe your specific background and interest in human rights or social justice, particularly the thematic priorities of the Rapoport Center.

12. Please describe your long-term professional goals and how the Rapoport Center might assist you in achieving them.

13. Please describe your experience (if any) with Rapoport Center events and activities.

14. Please describe how you imagine yourself contributing to the life of the Center, including specific projects or outreach you might want to propose.

15. Would you like to be specifically considered for the Sissy Farenthold Scholarship in Reproductive Justice?

Yes
No

15a. Please describe your background and interest in reproductive justice work, including (if any) related events or projects you've participated in at Texas Law or your undergraduate institution

15b. Please indicate your experience (if any) with criminal defense work.

Q37.

Application Materials: Cover Letter, Resume/CV, Transcript, Writing Sample

Please combine all of your application materials into a single PDF and submit here. Please make sure the file name includes your full name.

Cover letter: state why you are interested in the position; demonstrate basic knowledge of Rapoport Center programs and activities. Be sure to address your specific skills and qualifications.

Resume/CV: be sure to indicate any relevant skills or proficiency in languages other than English.
Transcript or academic summary: we will accept official and unofficial transcripts, and/or an academic summary.
Writing sample: upload a 8-10 page writing sample, preferably related to a human rights or social justice issue.

If you cannot upload the file, please email your PDF to carolinehahn@austin.utexas.edu.

17. Academic & Professional References

Please provide a list of three references. If you are a rising 2L or 3L, at least two must be faculty from UT Law. If you are a LLM, at least two should be faculty from the institution you received your legal degree. Please include name, title, and contact information. We will reach out to these references as part of our selection process.

Reference 1:

Title

Email

Phone Number

Reference 2:

Title

Email

Phone Number

Reference 3:

Title

Email

Phone Number

Q36. How did you learn about the Rapoport Center's Human Rights Scholar program?

18. By typing my name below, I certify that the information I have submitted is correct to the best of my knowledge and I have successfully uploaded my application packet(s) pursuant to the instructions.