The 2023-2025 New York State Excelsior Service Fellowship deadline is Monday, February 13, 2023. Applications must be submitted to gail.zweig@nyu.edu.
For full details of the fellowship, read below or click here: 2023-25 Excelsior Service Fellowship
The New York State Excelsior Service Fellowship Program is a funded two-year fellowship offering talented individuals unmatched training and experience in New York State government. Excelsior Fellows work full time at host executive-branch agencies and authorities, advancing the operational and legal aspects of important policy initiatives. Fellows will also participate in a Professional Development program focusing on leadership development and the fundamentals of New York State government. After completing the Excelsior Service Fellowship, exceptional fellows may continue to serve New York State. More than 50% of prior classes of Excelsior Fellows were offered permanent positions with the State post-fellowship. In the past, Fellow placements have included the Executive Chamber, Empire State Development Corporation, and the Department of Environmental Conservation.
Requirements and Details
NYU Law candidates is open to 3Ls who will obtain a JD from NYU Law no later than June 2023. JD fellows will be placed in legal assignments unless they expressly request otherwise. Candidates are encouraged to note their areas of interest and any preferred placement agencies; however, final placements will be dictated by budget and the needs of state government. While some opportunities exist in New York City and elsewhere in the state, most agency placements are located in Albany, New York.
Salary is in two-tiers, based on years of work experience after college:
- Fellows with less than three years of full-time, post-collegiate work experience are paid $65,000 annually
- Fellows with three or more years of full-time post-collegiate work experience are paid $70,000 annually
Additionally, all Excelsior Fellows receive a comprehensive benefits package including paid leave, health, dental, vision, and other benefits.
All Excelsior Fellows must be eligible to work for New York State without employer sponsorship. All Fellows must submit to a background investigation conducted by the New York State Police and the Center for Recruitment and Public Service. Fellowship appointment is contingent upon this background check.
Application Process
Applications and selections for the 2023-25 New York State Excelsior Service Fellowship Program will be administered by NYU Law. Interested NYU Law applicants should submit a resume, transcript, the names and contact information for 2 references and a personal statement/cover letter to gail.zweig@nyu.edu no later than Monday, February 13, 2023. The personal statement should outline the candidate’s interest in the Excelsior Service Fellowship and their commitment to public service (no more than 750 words). NYU Law students who receive and accept an offer to be nominated by the Law School to the State are expected to withdraw other pending job applications and not initiate new ones.
Please note that while letters of recommendation are no longer required, they are welcome. In the past the Program, when the Program required 2 letters of recommendation, they asked that one be academic in nature.
NYU Law will forward its selections to the Center for Recruitment and Public Service no later than March 1, 2023. Nominees will be interviewed for placement by the Center for Recruitment and Public Service, and will be matched with a placement at a State Agency or Authority. Those Fellows who are matched will be notified of their final acceptance by the second week of May (dates subject to change). The Fellowship program will commence in September. Prospective NYU Law fellows will be interviewed for placement by the Center for Recruitment and Public Service during the first half of March 2023 so that the Center can better understand their interests and where they’ll be best situated. The State expects to notify Fellows of their placements in May.