About the role#
The Shaftesbury Fellowship is a summer program for students and recent graduates who plan to pursue graduate studies in fields related to the advance of liberty. This fellowship offers a chance to deepen expertise in areas such as philosophy, politics, law, economics, and history. Fellows spend the summer living in community with peers while working alongside established scholars.
What you'll do#
- Work one-on-one with a scholar to design and finish a research project.
- Write a paper of publishable quality that you can use for graduate school applications.
- Attend weekly reading seminars led by academics.
- Participate in two intensive colloquia on political theory, history, and philosophy.
- Explore cultural institutions in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
What you'll need#
- Status as an upper-level undergraduate or recent graduate.
- A clear intention to pursue graduate studies in a relevant field.
- A resume.
- A letter of recommendation from a professor.
- A writing sample of at least 8 pages.
Location & details#
- Location: Plano, Texas.
- Term: Summer 2027 (10-week commitment from mid-May through July).
- Modality: On-site, full-time.
- Compensation: This is a paid fellowship.
About First Liberty Institute
First Liberty Institute is a nonprofit legal organization based in Dallas, Texas. It was founded in 1972. The firm focuses on constitutional law, specifically cases involving religious liberty and freedom. It provides legal counsel and advice to clients across the United States. The organization currently employs between 51 and 200 people.
How to get in at First Liberty Institute
Applying early gives you a distinct advantage at First Liberty Institute, as recruiters often review the first wave of candidates before the applicant pool becomes unmanageable. Intern Insider sends an instant alert the moment a role matching your target is published, helping you get your materials in before the pile grows. Reaching out to the right person is often more effective than submitting an application into a general queue. Intern Insider surfaces the recruiters behind the company roles, allowing you to contact them directly to ask about the position or a referral, which can materially improve your response rates.


