Legal Education and Development Fellowship Program in the U.S. Now Open for
Applications

The American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative is please to announce a
new study opportunity for masters level law studies in the United States.
Applications for the Legal Education and Development (LEAD) Fellowship
Program for Tajikistan are now available and being accepted until 5 PM,
Tuesday, February 23, 2010.

The LEAD Program provides master's level study of law in the United States
for current resident citizens of Tajikistan . The purpose of the program is
to strengthen rule of law culture in Tajikistan by providing exceptional
legal professionals with a broader understanding of comparative systems of
law and increased opportunities to examine both Tajik and U.S. law. The
LEAD Fellowship program is funded by the Bureau of International Narcotics
and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) of the United States Department of State
and is implemented by ABA ROLI and IREX under their Legal Education and
Exchange Program.

In the United States , LEAD Fellows pursue a one-year master of laws (LLM)
degree program at an ABA accredited law school. Additionally, fellows will
collaborate with an ABA mentor, participate in a volunteer community service
project during their academic year, and gain professional experience and
skills during a full-time summer internship.

Through the LEAD Program, legal professionals from Tajikistan will expand
their understanding of the judicial system and legal culture in the United
States . Fellows will also gain exposure to core values of the U.S. legal
profession through intensive legal educational and cultural exchange.

The fellowship provides J-1 visa support, round-trip travel from fellows'
home cities in Tajikistan to their U.S. host institutions, university
tuition and mandatory fees, a monthly allowance for living expenses, limited
allowance for textbooks, accident and sickness coverage, pre-academic
English-language training (if necessary), and a variety of alumni networking
and training opportunities.

Applications for the LEAD Program can be obtained and submitted by
contacting the IREX Tajikistan office.

Applications can also be downloaded from http://www.irex.org/programs/lead/.
See application for eligibility requirements.