The Sandman Fellowship

The Edgar ’46 & Margaret Sandman Fellowship in Aging, Disability, and Health Law and Policy is the most prestigious fellowship awarded to an Albany Law School student. The Fellowship offers a significant financial benefit to one or two Albany Law School students to research cutting-edge issues in aging, disability, or health law and policy.

Established in 1992 by Morris Silverman ’36 to honor Edgar Sandman ’46, the Sandman Fellows have produced 30 years of in-depth legal research and analysis that is published and disseminated to lawmakers and policymakers nationwide.

Sandman studies have:

• Received national media attention;
• Been used by state-level task forces and agencies across the country;
• Been cited by court opinions and by legal literature;
• Launched successful careers of the Fellows; and
• Sparked changes in aging law and policy.

With the generous support of the Sandman Family, the children of Edgar and Margaret, as well as previous Fellows, the program continues to offer a unique opportunity for Albany Law School students and reinforces the Government Law Center’s reputation as a leading national law and policy think tank linking government and academia and providing diverse services to government leaders and public officials, students, and the community.

Over the years, the Fellowship has been supported by community partners such as the Albany Guardian Society, the American Association of Retired Persons, and the Office of Children and Family Services.

The Fellowship Program focuses on the area of Aging, Disability, and Health Law and Policy. The Fellows prepare written reports of publishable quality on an aging, disability or health law topic, and host roundtable discussions related to their research.   The Fellows work at the Government Law Center 20 hours per week during the Spring and Fall Semesters and full time (Monday through Friday) during the summer.  During the Fall semester, the Fellows are required to complete a two-credit approved externship placement.

The Fellows work under the supervision of the legal staff of the Government Law Center, and interested faculty at Albany Law School (faculty from area academic institutions may also participate).

Benefits

The Fellows will have an opportunity to study the interaction of the law with public policy, and will:

• develop and refine policy analysis skills;
• learn about the legal aspects of policy reform;
• obtain a firsthand introduction to public service;
• get a "hands on" education about legislative and administrative processes;
• gain access to a network of public, private and non-profit sector policymakers in the aging, disability, and health care arena.

Fellows will receive a partial tuition waiver in the Spring and Fall semesters, and a competitive cash stipend during the summer.

Eligibility

To be eligible for designation as a Fellow, an applicant must have completed at least 20 credits with a GPA of at least 3.0 prior to their Fellowship year.  

Eligibility for the Sandman Fellowship Program is based upon merit and commitment to public service. A demonstrated interest in aging, disability, and health law and policy issues is helpful but not required. 

Financial need will not be a factor in determining eligibility. 

Failure to satisfy the Fellowship requirements will result in forfeiture of the Fellowship benefits and termination of the Fellowship appointment.

Selection Process

Applicants must submit one copy of their application, including all required attachments.

A completed application must include:

1. attached application form.
2. current resume.
3. Albany Law School transcript (unofficial with most currently available grades).
4. writing sample as required by the application.

A completed application must be submitted via AlbanyLawLink.

The awarding of the Fellowship for any year is within the discretion of the Government Law Center.