The Kimball R. Anderson & Karen Gatsis Anderson Public Interest Law Fellowship
More on the Anderson Fellowship
In 2003, then CBF President Kimball Anderson and his wife Karen set an extraordinary precedent for others in the legal community with a $100,000 gift. Their donation created a public interest law fellowship to honor and assist one outstanding law school graduate per year who has elected to work in the field of public interest law. Since their original gift, the Andersons have continually renewed their support for this groundbreaking fellowship, and recently made another extraordinary gift to permanently endow the fellowship.
The award assists recent law school graduates with repayment of their law school debts, which can exceed their rent or mortgage payments. The combination of skyrocketing debt and very modest legal aid salaries has created a dynamic where many law school students cannot consider a career in public interest law.
The couple saw this difficulty as an opportunity to give back to the community in a way that attacks the problem while inspiring others. First awarded in 2003, the $25,000 fellowship is given each year to an individual who demonstrates the following: (1) a commitment to public interest work, (2) academic excellence in law school, and (3) outstanding character and integrity.
