David G. Hall & Pamela M. Brown Fellowship

The David G. Hall & Pamela M. Brown Fellowship is awarded annually to a newer attorney who has demonstrated exceptional commitment and ability to serve the needs of low-income communities in Texas’s borderlands.  The awarded Fellow will join the ranks of attorneys at Texas RioGrande Legal Aid. 

David G. Hall guided Texas RioGrande Legal Aid from its early days in the 1970s (for a long time referred to as Texas Rural Legal Aid – starting the initials T-R-L-A and spoken “Tra La”), where he initially championed the rights of South Texas farmworkers alongside a handful of dedicated attorneys and staff.  Over a remarkable span of four decades, David’s visionary leadership transformed TRLA into the nation’s second-largest civil legal services program, serving 25,000 people annually.  

Pamela M. Brown has dedicated over three decades advocating tirelessly for the welfare of family violence survivors, championing substantive rights and funding for marginalized Texans in the legislative arena, and founding and running innovative projects for TRLA, such as the Bi-National Family Violence Project.  

The enduring legacy of David and Pamela, who were dedicated partners in their personal and professional lives, continues to be of service through the impactful work of TRLA and so many partners and friends who have passed through their offices and back porch doors. Their shared vision to enhance access to justice for underserved communities along the Texas border remains a powerful testament to the profound influence that attorneys can have on the well-being and future of our communities.

  • Applicant requirements:

    ·       A recent law school graduate

    ·       Exceptional academic and professional credentials

    ·       Proven commitment to public interest work

    ·       Proficiency in the Spanish language

    ·       Willingness to work in a rural or border TRLA office

    ·       Two-year commitment

  • Timeline
    Applications for the Fellowship open in the fall of each year and are decided by early spring.  The selected Fellow begins a two-year tenure at a TRLA borderlands office the following summer or fall.

    What does the selection process look like?

    A Selection Committee reviews the Fellowship applications and makes a recommendation to the Executive Director of TRLA based on qualification criteria, letters of recommendation, and any other evaluation or materials submitted by the applicant or collected by the committee.

  • Interested candidates may apply HERE (https://trla.wufoo.com/forms/3ls-level-up-slay-dragons-with-trla).

    Application materials must include a cover letter, resume, writing sample, and one or more letters of recommendation.

    Additional materials demonstrating commitment to public interest work may also be included.

The official announcement of each Fellowship recipient is made by early spring each year.