DUSHANBE, February 8, 2010, Asia-Plus — The Government of the United States of America has announced the 2010 Legal Education and Development (LEAD) Fellowship Program for Tajikistan, according to the U.S. Embassy in Dushanbe.
The deadline to submit the application for this program is 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 discuss both Tajik and U.S. law. The LEAD Program is a program of 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.
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 expand their understanding of the judicial system and legal culture in the United States. Fellows 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.
