Berkeley, CA, March 5, 2026

The John Paul Stevens Foundation shared the news of an expansion of the John Paul Stevens Fellowship Program today with the creation of the Manaster-Stevens Public Interest Fellowship at Santa Clara University School of Law. The new $10,000 annual fellowship will support Santa Clara Law students dedicated to public interest work, with a particular focus on environmental law, gun control, and voting rights.

National Impact and Expansion
The announcement comes during a period of unprecedented growth for the Foundation. In the last few years, the Foundation has significantly expanded its reach, now partnering with 38 law schools across the country.

• Growth Trajectory: In 2026, the Foundation will surpass 1,400 Stevens Fellows, a testament to the program’s nearly 30-year history since its inception at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law.
• Career Transformation: The program is a proven engine for career longevity; 74% of Stevens Fellows continue into permanent public interest legal careers after graduation.
• Collective Impact: In summer 2026, the Foundation will support a cohort of 158 Fellows contributing over 50,000 hours of critical legal advocacy at host organizations nationwide.

A Living Legacy to Justice Stevens
The Foundation was established in 2010 by a group of former law clerks to honor Justice Stevens’ retirement from the U.S. Supreme Court. It serves as a living tribute to his 34-year tenure, defined by intellectual independence and a deep commitment to the rule of law. Justice Stevens believed that a fair and effective justice system depends on a cadre of trained, committed public interest lawyers. The fellowship program directly fulfills that vision by removing the financial barriers that often prevent students from pursuing public service.

Honoring Justice Stevens and JPSF Board Member Kenneth Manaster
The expansion of the Foundation’s signature program was made possible through a grant to Santa Clara from Foundation Board Member and Santa Clara alumnus Skip Paul to honor his longtime colleague, friend, and fellow John Paul Stevens Foundation (JPSF) Board Member, Professor Emeritus Kenneth Manaster. Together, they were instrumental in expanding the Stevens Fellowship program to Santa Clara Law in 2000, and in founding the John Paul Stevens Foundation.

Since its inception, the Stevens Fellowship at Santa Clara Law has supported over 90 Fellows. Nationwide, the Foundation has funded over 1,250 Fellows across 38 law schools, with 74% of participants continuing into permanent public interest legal careers.For more information about the John Paul Stevens Foundation and to get involved, please visit our website: www.jpstevensfoundation.org.

About the John Paul Stevens Foundation — Advancing a Legacy of Justice
The John Paul Stevens Foundation seeks to build a more just and equitable society. As a living tribute to United States Supreme Court Associate Justice John Paul Stevens, the Foundation works to protect and promote democracy and the rule of law, access to justice, and equality by supporting law students, lawyers, and others working in the public interest. The Foundation was established in 2010 in honor of Justice Stevens’ retirement from the U.S. Supreme Court by a group of his former law clerks. An independent nonprofit organization based in Berkeley, the Foundation provides a formal home for the Justice John Paul Stevens Public Interest Fellowship Program.

About the Justice John Paul Stevens Public Interest Fellowship
The Justice John Paul Stevens Public Interest Fellowship was created in 1997 at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, Justice Stevens’s alma mater, to support law students who spend the summer working in otherwise unpaid public interest law internships. The Fellowship Program reflects Justice Stevens’ deep belief that a dynamic and effective justice system depends on a cadre of trained and committed lawyers committed to public interest work. Over the past 29 years, the Stevens Fellowship has supported over 1,250 law students, of whom 74% have gone on to work in the public interest after graduating from law school. In summer 2025, the Stevens Fellowship supported a cohort of 158 Fellows who collectively contributed over 50,000 hours of public interest legal work at more than 135 different public interest agencies in 25 states and Washington D.C. 

Media Contact:
Sara L. Woods, Executive Director
sara@jpstevensfoundation.org

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