Beginning summer 2026, the Business Law program is thrilled to offer a new Consumer Law Summer Fellowship to support a law student planning to spend their summer working with an organization focused on consumer protection.
The fellowship provides $20,000 in financial support for a rising 2L or 3L who secures a 10-week summer position with a public interest organization or government agency that focuses on consumer law. The fellowship aims to help students gain hands-on experience in consumer protection while building skills that will serve them in practice.
Jeff Sovern, the Michael Millemann Professor of Consumer Protection Law, praised the new opportunity saying, “This is a great opportunity for students to do well by doing good! Consumer law is about economic justice: helping consumers who have been victimized by more powerful economic actors. The practice of consumer law gives people a chance to wake up in the morning knowing they can both make a difference in someone's life and make the world a better place. I'm very grateful that we can provide students this fellowship.”
Through the fellowship, students can work closely with lawyers and advocates who handle issues that affect people in their daily lives, including lending practices, housing, and consumer fraud. The experience offers practical training, exposure to real cases, and an opportunity to see how consumer protection law operates in practice across government agencies and nonprofit organizations.
Students may pursue placements with a wide range of organizations that work on consumer protection issues. Possible host organizations include the Maryland Office of the Attorney General Consumer Protection Division, the Baltimore City Department of Law Affirmative Litigation Unit, Maryland Legal Aid, the Public Justice Center, and the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service. Opportunities are also available in Washington, D.C., through organizations such as the DC Bar Consumer Law Resource Center and Legal Aid DC. National organizations like the National Consumer Law Center, Public Citizen, AARP, and the Consumer Federation of America also provide potential placements.
The Business Law Program hopes the fellowship will encourage students to explore the many ways lawyers can advocate for consumers. Work in this area touches financial regulation, housing, lending practices, and access to justice. For students interested in public service and economic fairness, consumer protection offers an important and rewarding path.