Central to the mission of The Coelho Center for Disability Law, Policy and Innovation is bringing together and fostering the development of leaders from our disability community. In particular, we believe in creating a strong pipeline of law students with disabilities who will go on to serve as attorneys, judges, public policy professionals, and public servants.
Our ultimate goal is to increase disability representation the legal profession.
As the disability rights slogan goes, "Nothing About Us Without Us!" or more aptly "Nothing Without Us!" because people with disabilities belong in every sector of society, including the legal profession. We need people with disabilities in law schools, in law firms, on the bench, in the Congress, in legal academia and beyond!
In order to do so, we need to strengthen the pathway into law school for disabled students. Too often, students with disabilities are discouraged from attaining higher education. Educational barriers, along with negative assumptions and attitudes, dissuade our community from reaching careers in law and policy.
This has to change. Our program targets college students and recent graduates with disabilities to provide encouragement, support and mentorship that is crucial to success.
Currently, there is no program like The Coelho Center Law Fellowship Program with a specific mission to train and mentor college students with disabilities to think about a path toward law school.
Our 2025-2026 Coelho Law Fellowship offers:
- A summer intensive disability rights law course
- A two-day conference
- A year-long course delivered virtually via webinar during the academic year
- A disability rights project
- Publication opportunity (optional)
- $1000 stipend* (upon completion of the program)
- Virtual graduation ceremony to celebrate fellows
*Aside from the publication opportunity, all other listed items: the courses (including assignments), conference attendance and disability rights project completion are required to receive the fellowship stipend.
More detailed information on what is included in the fellowship will be made live with the application, in February of 2025.
If you would like to get on the list to be notified when our application is live, please fill out the interest form below:
Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA)
The Coelho Center for Disability Law, Policy and Innovation has a strong commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility as a core value. As such, we encourage applicants from a broad range of backgrounds with identities intersecting with disability including race, gender, sexual orientation, and immigration status. Applicants from low-income backgrounds and applicants who have been involved in the criminal legal system are also encouraged to apply. Please email coelhocenter@lmu.edu if you need an accommodation to apply.