CFJ Fellowship Programme 2027: Legal Fellowship for Early-Career Women Lawyers Across Africa

The CFJ Fellowship Programme 2027 offers an opportunity for early-career African women lawyers to develop practical legal, strategic litigation, legal representation, and advocacy skills while working with human rights and justice organizations in Africa.

The programme, offered by the Clooney Foundation for Justice (CFJ) in partnership with the Legal Empowerment Fund at the Fund for Global Human Rights, places fellows in organizations working to protect the rights of women and children. Fellows gain hands-on experience in legal research, legal drafting, client support, court representation, advocacy, and the use of innovative technology to expand access to justice.

Beginning in August 2026, the programme formerly known as the Waging Justice for Women Fellowship Programme is being renamed the CFJ Fellowship Programme. According to CFJ, the recruitment process, eligibility requirements, and application procedures remain unchanged.

CFJ Fellowship Programme 2027 Overview

The fellowship is designed for lawyers at the early stages of their careers who want to strengthen their ability to use law and advocacy to advance justice for women and children.

For the 2027 programme, CFJ plans to fund and place 10 early-career women lawyers in human rights and justice organizations across Kenya, Malawi, South Africa, and The Gambia.

These host organizations include legal aid providers, universities with legal aid clinics, and government prosecution services.

What Is the CFJ Fellowship Programme?

The CFJ Fellowship Programme is an annual legal fellowship intended to help develop the next generation of justice advocates for women and children in Africa.

The programme gives early-career women lawyers the opportunity to work directly within organizations involved in human rights and justice work.

Rather than being limited to classroom-based legal education, the fellowship emphasizes immersive practical experience.

Fellows can work on real legal and justice issues and develop skills through practical assignments, mentoring, training, and engagement with experienced professionals.

The programme focuses particularly on issues affecting women and children, including:

• Violence against women and children
• Child marriage
• Gender-based violence
• Reproductive rights
• Access to justice
• Women’s rights
• Children’s rights
• Human rights
• Legal advocacy

Partnership Behind the Fellowship

The programme is administered in partnership with the Legal Empowerment Fund at the Fund for Global Human Rights.

The partnership supports the programme’s focus on strengthening legal capacity and expanding access to justice for women and children.

What Do CFJ Fellows Do?

Fellows are placed within host organizations where they can gain direct experience in legal and justice-related work.

Their responsibilities may include:

1. Legal Research

Fellows conduct legal research relating to cases, human rights issues, legislation, policies, and other matters relevant to their host organization.

This provides an opportunity to strengthen research skills while working on real-world legal issues.

2. Legal Drafting

Fellows may contribute to drafting legal documents and other materials required in their work.

This can help early-career lawyers develop practical legal writing skills beyond what they may have encountered during their formal legal education.

3. Client Support

The programme allows fellows to support clients and communities requiring legal assistance.

Working directly with clients can help fellows develop practical skills in understanding legal needs, communicating legal information, and supporting people navigating justice systems.

4. Legal Representation

Fellows may undertake legal representation in court as part of their responsibilities.

This provides practical exposure to the justice process and allows fellows to develop their legal advocacy and representation skills.

5. Advocacy

The programme also develops fellows’ ability to advocate for women’s and children’s rights.

Advocacy can involve working on broader legal and policy issues alongside direct legal assistance.

Focus on Women and Children’s Rights

A central focus of the fellowship is strengthening legal protection for women and children.

Fellows are equipped with tools to advocate for rights, particularly in relation to issues such as child marriage and violence against women and children.

The programme also addresses wider areas of justice, including gender-based violence, reproductive rights, legal assistance, and legal education.

This combination of direct legal work and advocacy allows fellows to engage with both individual cases and broader justice issues.

Technology and Access to Justice

An additional component of the CFJ Fellowship Programme is its focus on technology.

CFJ has partnered with Microsoft’s AI for Good Lab and the Oxford Institute of Technology as part of its efforts to explore how technology can increase access to justice.

Fellows will receive training in innovative technological tools and are encouraged to consider how these tools can be applied to their legal and advocacy work.

This means the fellowship is not solely focused on traditional legal practice. It also introduces fellows to approaches that can potentially improve how legal services and justice advocacy are delivered.

Mentoring and Professional Development

CFJ provides fellows with mentoring and training throughout the programme.

Fellows have access to professionals working across the African human rights and justice sector, including:

• Human rights experts
• Lawyers
• Judges
• Activists
• Academics

This gives fellows opportunities to learn from professionals with experience in different areas of justice and human rights work.

The mentoring component can also support fellows as they develop their professional interests and build relationships within the wider legal and human rights community.

CFJ Fellowship Alumni Network

The fellowship does not end when the placement concludes.

Upon completing the programme, fellows are inducted into the CFJ Fellowship Alumni Network.

The alumni network provides opportunities for:

• Ongoing support
• Knowledge sharing
• Professional growth
• Continued connections with other fellows
• Engagement with the wider CFJ community

This creates a longer-term professional network for lawyers who have completed the fellowship.

Programme Impact Since 2023

According to CFJ’s programme information, the fellowship has already contributed to legal assistance and advocacy for women and children.

Since the programme launched in 2023, CFJ reports that its fellows have:

• Worked on more than 500 cases involving women’s and children’s rights.
• Supported more than 2,000 women and children through legal assistance, advocacy, and legal education.

The work has addressed areas including:

• Gender-based violence
• Reproductive rights
• Child marriage
• Women’s rights
• Children’s rights

These figures are reported by CFJ as part of its description of the programme’s impact.

2027 Host Organizations

The CFJ Fellowship Programme has identified host organizations in Kenya, Malawi, South Africa, and The Gambia.

The listed 2027 host organizations are:

Malawi

Centre for Human Rights Education Advice and Assistance (CHREAA)

CHREAA is listed as one of the programme’s host organizations in Malawi.

CHREAA official website

Women Lawyers Association (WLA), Malawi

The Women Lawyers Association is another listed host organization.

Women Lawyers Association Malawi

Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Malawi

The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions is included among the programme’s Malawi-based hosts.

Legal Aid Bureau (LAB), Malawi

The Legal Aid Bureau is also listed as a host organization.

University of Malawi (UNIMA)

The University of Malawi is included among the programme’s host institutions.

South Africa

Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria

The Centre for Human Rights at the University of Pretoria is listed as a host organization.

Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria

The Gambia

Female Lawyers Association Gambia (FLAG)

FLAG is listed as one of the programme’s host organizations.

Female Lawyers Association Gambia

Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa (IHRDA)

IHRDA is also listed among the programme’s hosts in The Gambia.

Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa

Kenya

Katiba Institute

Katiba Institute is listed as a host organization in Kenya.

Katiba Institute

Countries Where Fellows Are Placed

For the 2027 programme, fellowship placements are listed in:

1. Kenya
2. Malawi
3. South Africa
4. The Gambia

The supplied information describes the fellowship as being for African women lawyers, with placements taking place in these four countries.

Applicants should review the official application information carefully for the precise nationality, professional, and placement requirements applicable to the current recruitment cycle.

What Makes the Fellowship Practical?

A major feature of the programme is its emphasis on practical experience.

Fellows do not simply participate in lectures or theoretical training. They are placed within organizations where they can undertake professional responsibilities related to legal services and justice.

Through these placements, fellows can develop experience in:

• Legal research
• Legal writing
• Client interaction
• Court work
• Human rights advocacy
• Women’s rights
• Children’s rights
• Strategic litigation
• Legal education
• Technology and access to justice

This practical structure is intended to help early-career lawyers develop skills that can be applied in their subsequent professional careers.

Strategic Litigation and Advocacy Skills

Strategic litigation is an important part of the programme’s professional-development focus.

Strategic litigation involves using legal cases and legal processes to address broader human rights or justice issues.

For fellows, exposure to this area can provide experience in connecting individual legal matters with broader questions concerning rights, access to justice, and legal protection.

Alongside litigation, fellows develop advocacy skills that can be applied both within legal proceedings and in wider efforts to promote women’s and children’s rights.

Who Should Consider Applying?

The fellowship is designed for early-career African women lawyers who want to develop their legal practice and contribute to human rights and justice work affecting women and children.

It may be particularly relevant to lawyers interested in:

• Human rights law
• Women’s rights
• Children’s rights
• Gender justice
• Strategic litigation
• Legal aid
• Public interest law
• Advocacy
• Access to justice
• Violence against women and children
• Child marriage
• Reproductive rights

Applicants should use the official application materials to confirm the complete eligibility requirements for the current fellowship cycle.

Application Process

CFJ provides an online application for prospective fellows.

Interested applicants can access the application through the official CFJ website:

Apply for the CFJ Fellowship Programme

Applicants can also review additional information about becoming a fellow through CFJ’s fellowship information page:

CFJ Fellowship Programme – Learn More and Apply

Because the supplied programme information does not state a specific application deadline for the 2027 fellowship, applicants should check the official application page for the current deadline and any updated recruitment instructions before submitting an application.

Important Note About the Programme Name

Applicants searching for the opportunity may encounter two different names.

The programme was previously known as the:

Waging Justice for Women Fellowship Programme

Beginning in August 2026, it is being renamed the:

CFJ Fellowship Programme

CFJ states that the following remain unchanged:

• Recruitment
• Eligibility requirements
• Application processes

Therefore, applicants may see references to both names while searching for information about the programme.

How to Prepare for the Fellowship

Prospective applicants can begin preparing by considering the areas emphasized by the programme.

Develop Your Legal Experience

Review your existing legal experience and identify work that demonstrates your interest in human rights, justice, women’s rights, or children’s rights.

Highlight Practical Skills

The programme involves practical legal work, so applicants should clearly present relevant experience in areas such as:

• Legal research
• Drafting
• Client assistance
• Court work
• Advocacy
• Human rights work

Demonstrate Your Interest in Women’s and Children’s Rights

Because the programme has a specific focus on protecting women and children, applicants should clearly explain their interest in these areas where relevant to their experience.

Consider Technology and Justice

CFJ’s partnership with technology-focused organizations means that interest in innovative approaches to access to justice may also be relevant.

Applicants can consider how technology could support legal services, advocacy, legal education, or access to justice in their professional context.

Research the Host Organizations

Because placements are made within specific organizations, applicants can familiarize themselves with the listed host institutions and the type of work they undertake.

This can help applicants understand the professional environment in which fellows may work.

Deadline

Application deadline: Not specified in the information provided.

The supplied programme page confirms that applications are open and provides an application link, but it does not state a specific closing date.

Applicants should therefore consult the official CFJ application page for the current deadline before applying.

Conclusion

The CFJ Fellowship Programme 2027 provides early-career African women lawyers with an opportunity to gain practical experience in human rights and justice organizations working across Kenya, Malawi, South Africa, and The Gambia.

The programme combines practical legal work with mentoring, training, advocacy experience, and exposure to human rights and justice professionals. Fellows can work on legal research, drafting, client support, court representation, and advocacy while focusing particularly on issues affecting women and children.

The programme also incorporates an emerging technology component through partnerships involving Microsoft’s AI for Good Lab and the Oxford Institute of Technology, giving fellows opportunities to explore innovative approaches to improving access to justice.

Since its launch in 2023, CFJ reports that fellows have worked on more than 500 cases involving women’s and children’s rights and supported more than 2,000 women and children through legal assistance, advocacy, and education.

Following completion, fellows join the CFJ Fellowship Alumni Network, providing continued opportunities for professional support, knowledge sharing, and growth.

For more opportunities HERE