The Salzburg Lloyd N. Cutler Fellows Program helps outstanding law students from the top U.S. law schools explore timely legal issues and develop the leadership skills and connections needed to forge careers in international law to shape a better world.
FAQs
Each spring, the Salzburg Cutler Fellows Program brings together 56 of the nation’s top law students with leading academics, judges, and practitioners in the fields of private and public international law. This multi-day program examines the most critical issues shaping today’s international law agenda and creates a network of scholars interested in careers in international practice and public service.
At the heart of the program is the presentation by each Fellow of a 5- to 8-page executive summary of an article-length paper, for review by the other participants and a group of prominent law professors, judges, and practitioners. Small-group sessions convene to consider each student paper, discussing and making suggestions to improve it. Leading international law faculty offer advice on how to make the argument more effective and how to succeed in getting papers accepted by journals across the world. The most outstanding papers are published as “working papers” by the Salzburg Global Seminar.
When conditions permit, much of the program is hosted in person in Washington, D.C., usually in late February.
In 2024, the program will convene January 11 (online) and February 8 – 10 (Washington, DC).
The 14 participating law schools include Berkeley, Chicago, Columbia, Cornell, Duke, Georgetown, Harvard, Michigan, Northwestern, NYU, Penn Carey Law, Stanford, UVA, and Yale.
The Cutler Fellowship is open to 2Ls and 3Ls, as well as to LLMs on a limited basis. A maximum of four students will be accepted. (According to Cutler’s guidelines, eligibility can be extended to LLM students “on an exceptional basis”; however, “in no case may a school send more than one LLM.”)
A call for applications is sent to eligible Penn Carey Law students in November, with a deadline for applications for the 2024 program on Monday, November 20.
An application will consist of at least the following items:
Cover letter introducing your background and reason for interest in the Cutler Fellows Program;
Resume or CV;
2-page abstract outlining an issue or question in international law that will be developed into a research paper, journal note, or other publication. (The topic should fall within one of the general categories below.)
Papers should generally fit into one the following major areas:
Humanitarian law, human rights, and use of force;
International economic, investment, and monetary law;
International trade, anti-corruption, and anti-trust;
International institutions and international relations;
Rule of law and comparative constitutionalism.
Students are welcome to submit abstracts based on articles or papers in development for other purposes, such as a seminar, independent study, or law journal.
Students who participate in the Cutler Fellows program will receive:
Advice on how to successfully publish this and other research in international journals;
Expert input from renowned law faculty and peers, resulting in a stronger research paper;
Career-shaping insights in both traditional and non-traditional pathways to international law and public service; and
Membership in an expanding network of Salzburg Cutler Fellows (which is connected to the 36,000-strong network of Salzburg Global Fellows around the world).
The Salzburg Cutler Fellows Program helps participants develop the skills and contacts needed for effective engagement and communication across the public sector, business, and civil society. In addition to the research workshop sessions, the Cutler “Knowledge Café” organizes a high-level lineup of speakers from the legal community, as well as structured networking opportunities. Fellows and faculty examine cutting-edge issues in international law through small-group workshops, keynote lectures, and mentoring panels.
The Cutler Fellows Program is one of many programs offered by the Salzburg Global Seminar, an independent, non-governmental organization whose mission is to challenge present and future leaders to solve issues of global concern. This forum (headquartered in Salzburg, Austria) convenes thinkers from different cultures, organizes problem-focused initiatives, supports leadership development, and engages opinion-makers through active communication networks. Successful lawyers across the world cite their Salzburg experiences as highly influential in developing their legal philosophies, global networks, and career paths.
“I was placed in a group of about 10 people from peer law schools and two faculty who all read my paper proposal. They all had really thoughtful critiques, both the peers and the professors. It really helps mold your thinking and shape your argument and prepares your paper for publication. It’s a really great opportunity to meet people who are interested in the same topics; I’m still in touch with [people I met] from different schools.… You also have the opportunity to engage with different webinar series and speaker events that the Salzburg organization hosts…. It’s a unique community of people that I’ve already tapped into [for] my own networking.”
—Joelle Hageboutros L’21
For further questions about the Salzburg Cutler Fellows Program, please contact the Penn Carey Law Office of International Affairs.
