Dechert Opens Fellowship to Students Hit by Trump Job Freeze

Dechert is opening its fellowship program to five graduating law students whose job offers were axed by President Donald Trump’s hiring freeze.

The program, launched last year, has students spend a year with a pro bono organization. Last year’s class worked with groups including the Human Trafficking Legal Center and the Center for Reproductive Rights.

The goal is to give the students “alternative opportunities to serve the public,” firm co-chair Dave Forti said in a statement. “We can offer these graduates a unique opportunity to make a meaningful legal impact for underserved and underrepresented communities.”

The move comes as students scramble to secure new employment or internship opportunities to replace their federal offers that fell victim to the freeze issued Jan. 20. Trump imposed the freeze for 90 days until the Office of Management and Budget and other agencies issue a plan to cut the federal workforce “through efficiency improvements and attrition.”

Dechert’s 2025 program is slated to begin in October. Besides Dechert, firms including Morgan Lewis and Quinn Emanuel are also interviewing students and recent graduates for possible roles.