New Hampshire Senator Warren B. Rudman was widely admired for his integrity and willingness to work with politicians across the aisle in order to advance the public interest. In lending his name to the Warren B. Rudman Center for Justice, Leadership & Public Service, Senator Rudman stated that he could “think of no greater mission than to train our next generation of leaders to seek justice, serve their country, and work together for the common good.” The Warren B. Rudman Center for Justice, Leadership & Public Service operationalizes this charge by providing programmatic and financial support for students interested in exploring careers in public service while supporting public programming and academic inquiry that align with its mission.
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Warren B. Rudman Fellows Program
The Warren B. Rudman Fellows Program provides full-tuition scholarships and guaranteed summer fellowships to exceptionally well-qualified applicants with a demonstrated interest in public service following their law school graduation. The first two Warren B. Rudman fellows enrolled in the law school in the fall 2014.
Learn more about the Warren B. Rudman Fellowship experience from our students
Rudman-Peterson Fellows Program
The Rudman-Peterson Fellows program offers first-year students the opportunity to receive a full-tuition scholarship, summer stipends, and focused programming so that they may pursue a career in public service relating to the fields of fiscal responsibility, public policy, and government. Over the final two years of law study, each Fellow will be supervised and advised by faculty with expertise in the Fellow’s expressed area of interest.
Upon graduation, each Rudman-Peterson Fellow will have accomplished the following:
- Completed the fiscal policy seminar, Federal Budget, Legislation & Appropriations.
- Engagement in a legal residency or research internship in the areas of fiscal policy, public policy, and government either within the University, at a government office, or at an independent non-profit research or advocacy organization.
- Work in a summer placement following the first and second years of law study with an organization or law office focusing on fiscal policy, public policy, and government.
- Played a significant role in developing, organizing, and hosting at least one speaker/event dedicated to the subject of fiscal policy.
- Received mentorship from faculty with expertise in the Fellow’s chosen focus area, including course selection, legal residency or research internship placement, and career networking.
- Participated with other Rudman Center Fellows in programming designed to promote justice, leadership, and public service.
Selection Process
The Rudman Center Director will solicit fellowship applicants from the 1L class each spring. Applicants will be required to articulate their interest in fiscal policy and public service as well as preliminarily identify the law and fiscal policy issues that they wish to study more deeply as a fellow. The fellow selection committee will include the Rudman Center Director, Rudman Center faculty fellows, and one or two external reviewers with expertise in fiscal policy, at least one of whom is a lawyer. Selection criteria will include: (1) academic performance in the 1L year; (2) evidence of commitment to public service prior to, or during, law school; and (3) the applicant’s articulation of their interest as noted above.
Application Requirements
- Rudman-Peterson Fellows Program application (Available soon)
Additional Resources
Rudman Summer Fellowship Program
The Rudman Summer Fellowships Program provides $4,000 summer stipends to students who work for government agencies or for organizations that perform public interest legal work. This year, the Rudman Center will award 18 summer fellowships. Our 2018 Summer Fellows are (graduation year in parentheses):
- Kirsten Allen (2020) Have Justice-Will Travel (Vt.)
- Connor Buchholz (2019) Hillsborough County Superior Court North (N.H.)
- Erin Carey (2019) Alaska Public Defender Agency (Alaska)
- Katharine Courville (2019) NH Public Defender (N.H.)
- Caitlin Foster (2019) NH Public Defender (N.H.)
- Jennifer Hatin (2020) Chittenden County State Attorney’s Office (Vt.)
- Neiko Lavery (2020) NH Attorney General’s Office (N.H.)*
- Kelly Martin (2019) Hillsborough County Superior Court North (N.H.)**
- Sarah McNeal (2020) Disability Rights Center (N.H.)
- Eric Monty (2020) NH Attorney General’s Office (N.H.)
- Lauren Myers (2020) Court Appointed Special Advocates of (CASA) (N.H.)***
- John Nehrings (2020) Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (N.H.)
- Thomas Palermo (2019) Manchester Solicitor’s Office (N.H.)
- Emma Parro (2019) Cheshire County Attorney (N.H.)
- William Pearson (2019) N.H. Secretary of State/CASA (N.H.)
- Elise Romberger (2019) U.S. Eastern District of Pennsylvania (Pa.)
- Kelsey Sullivan (2019) N.H. Department of Energy Services (N.H.)
- Milliana Zonarich (2020) ACLU-NH (N.H.)
Bruce E. Friedman Scholarship
The Bruce E. Friedman Scholarship is named for Professor Bruce E. Friedman, who for many years directed the school’s Civil Practice Clinic. First and second year students who have been active in community service and demonstrate a commitment to the provision of legal services to underserved populations may apply for this scholarship.
As part of its mission, the Rudman Center hosts public programming that brings national policy leaders, public servants, and journalists to campus for conversations with the community about the most pressing issues of our time.
Recurring Events
David Broder Award Presentation
The David Broder Award is presented biennially by the University of New Hampshire’s Warren B. Rudman Center for Justice, Leadership, and Public Service to a journalist whose career exemplifies the work of David Broder and reflects Senator Rudman’s lifelong commitment to public service, democracy, and dialogue. Recipients will have served the public and their profession through reporting and commentary that advances the public understanding of democratic processes and the relationship between law, public discourse, and political decision-making. David Broder Award recipients include Dan Balz of the Washington Post (2015) and John Dickerson of CBS News (2017).
Justice & Journalism
The Justice & Journalism series brings nationally-renowned journalists to the Rudman Center for engaging conversations on public affairs and the public servants who create, implement, and influence public policy. The series is a joint initiative of NHPR and the Rudman Center, made possible by the generous support of The Couch Family Foundation. Recent Justice & Journalism talks have been given by Peter Overby, David Folkenflik, and Mary Louise Kelly.
Bruce E. Friedman Pro Bono Award
The Bruce Friedman Pro Bono Award honors the accomplishments of a UNH School of Law graduate and New Hampshire Bar Association member who exemplifies the commitment to public service of Bruce Friedman, the late founder of the civil practice clinic at UNH School of Law, by providing exemplary pro bono service to indigent clients in the state.
Recent Events
2018 Bruce E. Friedman Pro Bono Award Reception
UNH Law and the Rudman Center hosted the 7th annual Bruce E. Friedman Pro Bono Award Reception on Oct. 25, 2018, honoring Kirk Simoneau, J.D. ’09. Retired Justice Carol Ann Conboy, J.D. ’78 presented the award.
New Hampshire's Federal Courts Respond to the Opioid Crisis
The Rudman Center and the Health Law and Policy Programs at UNH School of Law hosted a panel discussion with federal judges, attorneys, and probation officers on how our federal courts are responding to the opioid crisis in NH on Monday, Oct. 22, 2018. The event focused on how the federal drug courts work in practice and how issues of substance use have impacted the federal courtroom and criminal justice system. Panelists included Chief Judge Joseph N. Laplante, United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire; Magistrate Judge Andrea K. Johnstone, United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire; Chief Jonathan E. Hurtig, U.S. Probation & Pretrial Services for the District of New Hampshire; Jeffrey S. Levin, Assistant Federal Public Defender, New Hampshire; Seth R. Aframe, Assistant United States Attorney for the District of New Hampshire; Lucy C. Hodder, Professor of Law, UNH School of Law, Moderator.
Constitutionally Speaking
On Friday, Sept. 21, 2018, the Constitutionally Speaking civic engagement initiative hosted Senator Susan Collins at St. Anselm’s New Hampshire Institute of Politics. Senator Collins engaged in a conversation with National Public Radio’s Virginia Prescott about “Civility, Cooperation, and Compromise." To learn more about Constitutionally Speaking, click here.
Constitution Day Naturalization Ceremony
On Sept. 19, 2018, the Rudman Center arranged for a naturalization ceremony on the University of New Hampshire campus in Durham, where 70 new citizens from 36 countries were naturalized.
Let's Fix Washington
On Sept. 18, 2018, the Rudman Center hosted former Florida congressmen Patrick Murphy (D) and David Jolly (R), who are touring the country to promote bipartisanship. The event was co-sponsored by the Concord Coalition.
