UB Law School becomes state Excelsior Fellows partner

BUFFALO, N.Y. – “Excelsior” – meaning “ever upward” – is New York State’s official motto, and upward-looking University at Buffalo Law School seniors are now eligible for the governor’s Excelsior Service Fellowship Program, which aims to bring high-achieving new graduates into public service.  

The program, established in 2013, recruits highly talented graduates of colleges, universities and graduate, law and professional schools for two-year placements in New York’s Executive Chamber, as well as 41 state government agencies and authorities. The UB Law School recently became a partner school in the program, whose fellow partners include the Fordham, New York University and Albany law schools as well as units of Harvard and Columbia universities.

Excelsior Fellows work full time at host agencies of the state’s executive branch, advancing the operational aspects of large policy initiatives. Placements have included the Executive Chamber, the Empire State Development Corporation, the Justice Center, the Department of Environmental Conservation and the Office of the Lieutenant Governor.

“Recruiting new ideas, fresh talent and energy is a great way to transform state government as we continue to build a new New York,” Cuomo said in establishing the program. “That is exactly what the Excelsior Service Fellows will provide for New York.”

Beyond their initial two-year posting, many fellows continue to serve New York State. More than 60 percent of the first class of Excelsior Fellows were offered permanent positions after their fellowships were completed.

Fellows who hold the Juris Doctor degree are placed in legal assignments unless they request otherwise. Candidates may also request being placed in a particular agency. The fellowships, located in Albany and in New York City, begin in September.

The application process involves a background check, submission of a resume, academic transcripts, references and a cover letter. The application deadline is Jan. 15, 2016.

Marc Davies, associate director for career services, is administering the program at the UB Law School. He can be reached at 716-645-3707 or mrdavies@buffalo.edu.

Since its founding in 1887, the UB Law School – the State University of New York system’s only law school – has established an excellent reputation and is widely regarded as a leader in legal education. Its cutting-edge curriculum provides both a strong theoretical foundation and the practical tools graduates need to succeed in a competitive marketplace, wherever they choose to practice. A special emphasis on interdisciplinary studies, public service and opportunities for hands-on clinical education makes the UB Law School unique among the nation’s premier public law schools.