Colorado Attorney General Fellowship Program 2027: $65,000 Salary and Public-Service Legal Placements, Deadline September 28, 2026

Colorado Attorney General Fellowship Program 2027: $65,000 Salary and Public-Service Legal Placements, Deadline September 28, 2026

The Colorado Department of Law (DOL) Fellowship Program is a paid entry point into state public service for lawyers at the beginning of their careers. The 2027 class starts in November 2027. The program is open to law school students who will graduate by Spring 2027 and to recent law school graduates who are currently clerking, provided that every selected Fellow is admitted to the Colorado bar before the start date.

The official program page sets September 28, 2026 as the application deadline for the 2027 positions. Fellows receive an annual salary of $65,000 if they are 2027 law school graduates. The published compensation is $68,000 for Fellows in their second year of the Fellowship or for applicants who bring at least one full year of legal experience. The page also lists medical and dental benefits, paid holidays, retirement benefits through Colorado PERA, vacation and sick leave, employer-paid life insurance, annual attorney registration dues, professional development, and access to CLE programming.

This is a legal fellowship with real government work, not a scholarship for tuition and not a short observation placement. Depending on the position, Fellows may draft briefs and memoranda, support investigations and trials, participate in administrative actions and rulemaking, handle consumer-protection matters, advise state agencies, or work on appellate and constitutional litigation. The program offers several ways to apply, but each Fellowship position requires its own application packet. That requirement makes early choice of track important.

Key details at a glance

The salary and benefits make this a practical employment opportunity, but applicants should read the individual position description carefully. The term, subject-matter work, and expected start requirements vary by track.

What the Fellowship offers

The Department of Law describes the Fellowship as a way to learn critical legal skills while contributing to the work of the state. Fellows work with experienced attorneys, receive feedback and supervision, and participate in mentorship, networking, and dedicated professional development. They can also volunteer on office-wide impact teams and may earn free continuing legal education credits through programming offered by the Department, the Colorado Bar Association, and the Practising Law Institute.

The work is broad because the Attorney General’s office represents Colorado and its agencies across many legal settings. The official description names cybersecurity, consumer protection, criminal appeals, civil rights, torts, contracts, eminent domain, administrative law, environmental law, tax, public utilities, public health, school safety, energy, criminal fraud, and victim advocacy among the areas the office handles. Applicants do not need to claim expertise in every one of these fields. They do need to explain why their background and interests fit the position they select.

The Department also says that Fellows may have an opportunity to apply for open permanent positions during the second half of the Fellowship. That is not a promise of a permanent job, and it should not be presented as guaranteed conversion. It is better understood as an additional career pathway for a Fellow who performs well and finds a suitable vacancy.

Who is eligible to apply

The core applicant group is narrow and clearly defined. A student must be graduating from law school by Spring 2027, or a recent law school graduate must currently be clerking. The program page encourages candidates who are intellectually curious and committed to public service. It specifically highlights strong writing skills, confidence to ask thoughtful questions, willingness to engage, and a strong academic record. A steadily improving record can also help show academic progress when the overall GPA is not the only relevant evidence.

The Colorado bar requirement is decisive. Every applicant must commit to becoming a member of the Colorado bar before beginning work in November 2027, whether through bar passage or admission by waiver. A selected candidate must be a sworn member by the start date. The Department expressly says that a candidate may not rely on Student Practice Act status if they have not passed the bar and been admitted by the time the Fellowship begins.

This means applicants should map the bar timeline alongside the Fellowship timeline. If you are graduating in Spring 2027, identify the Colorado admission route that applies to you and the documents or exam dates that could affect the November start. If you are currently clerking, explain your clerkship status clearly and confirm that your path to Colorado admission will be complete before the appointment begins.

Fellowship tracks and legal work

The Litigation and General Counsel (LGC) Fellowship is the broadest listed route. LGC Fellows are assigned to Civil Litigation and Employment Law, Revenue and Regulatory Law, or State Services. They may work on investigations and trials, appeals, administrative actions, rulemaking, and general counsel matters. Each LGC Fellow serves a one-year term from early November 2027 through the end of October 2028 and can expect at least one project outside the assigned section. Section preference is not guaranteed, but the Department asks applicants to name preferred sections in the cover letter.

The Justice Gregory Hobbs, Jr. Fellowship focuses on natural resources and the environment. Fellows work with the Natural Resources and Environment Section on matters involving Colorado’s land, air, water, and wildlife and may advise the Attorney General on a range of environmental and natural-resource questions. The listed term is one year, from November 2027 through October 2028.

Ralph L. Carr Appellate Fellows work with the Colorado Solicitor General on briefs and oral arguments in significant state and federal litigation, including constitutional issues. They also work with the Criminal Appeals Section and can gain extensive brief-writing and oral-argument experience. These Fellowships typically last two years, from November 2027 through October 2029. The Department notes that many applicants arrive after appellate judicial clerkships, but it also encourages strong applicants from all backgrounds.

The Consumer Protection Section Fellowship involves investigations and enforcement work in consumer fraud, antitrust, and consumer-credit cases. Possible duties include reviewing complaints, taking witness testimony, reviewing document production, filing enforcement actions or lawsuits, motion practice, depositions, court appearances, and legal research. The Cybersecurity Fellowship covers data privacy, data management, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, intellectual property, and related advice to state agencies. It may involve the Colorado Privacy Act, federal and state privacy laws, legislative changes, and technology-focused working groups.

Application materials and submission rules

The official instructions require a cover letter, resume, law school transcript, three references, and a writing sample. The cover letter should address three questions: your commitment to public service and interest in the Fellowship, your experience in the relevant subject area or other relevant work, and how your background would add value to the Fellowship and the Department of Law.

The resume should include bar memberships, leadership experience, community service or volunteer experience, the status of your bar application, and cumulative law school GPA. Treat those fields as evidence of readiness for public work, not as administrative afterthoughts. If your bar application is pending, state the current status accurately rather than implying admission is complete.

The three references are people familiar with your work and abilities. The Department asks for their phone numbers, email addresses, and the nature of your relationship. These are references, not letters of recommendation, so do not automatically upload recommendation letters unless the application page requests them. Choose people who can speak about writing, judgment, initiative, collaboration, public service, or performance under supervision.

The writing sample must demonstrate legal analysis and ability. It may be an excerpt from a longer document, but it must be no more than 10 pages and must not contain confidential or privileged information. The Department says the shorter and less edited the sample, the better. That signals that reviewers want to see your own legal reasoning and writing, not a polished document whose substance was heavily rewritten by a supervisor.

Name each file with your name and the document type, such as “Doe, Chris Resume.” A separate application packet is required for each Fellowship position. If you apply for LGC, Carr, and Hobbs positions, prepare and submit three distinct packets. Reusing a resume is reasonable; reusing an unchanged cover letter is not. Each letter should name the position and connect your experience to its work.

Timeline and interview process

Applications for the 2027 positions open in August 2026 and must be submitted no later than September 28, 2026. The Fellowship positions begin in November 2027. The Department expects interviews to take place between October and December 2026. The process includes a first interview with Fellowship Committee members, a second interview with other Department of Law members including leadership, and a third interview for finalists with the Attorney General or the Attorney General’s designee.

The Department aims to make offers in late December 2026 and no later than the end of January 2027. That schedule gives selected candidates substantial notice before the November 2027 start, but it also means that the bar-admission plan, relocation questions, and clerkship obligations may need attention well before the appointment begins.

Create a personal schedule that finishes the packet at least several days before September 28. Reserve time to get a transcript, confirm reference contact details, select a nonconfidential writing sample, and proofread each position-specific cover letter. Keep the final confirmation for every submission. Because the office requires a separate packet per position, check that you have not submitted one track’s cover letter or writing sample under another track’s application.

How to prepare a stronger application

Start with the legal problem you want to work on, not with a list of subjects you find interesting. A strong cover letter can identify a public-service issue, show what you did in a related setting, and explain why the Department’s work is the right next environment for your development. For example, a candidate interested in cybersecurity should connect a privacy, technology, compliance, or research experience to the practical work of advising agencies and enforcing state law. A candidate interested in appeals should show how a writing, clerkship, moot-court, or litigation experience prepared them for careful analysis and advocacy.

Use specific evidence. Instead of saying that you are an excellent writer, name a memorandum, brief, clinic matter, clerkship assignment, or public-facing project and describe the legal question, your role, and the result. Instead of calling yourself committed to public service, explain what population, agency, or community you served and what you learned about the responsibilities of government lawyers.

Prepare for interviews by practicing concise answers about judgment and uncertainty. Government lawyers may need to advise clients with incomplete facts, balance competing public interests, and explain legal risk to non-lawyers. Be ready to discuss how you prioritize research, ask questions, respond to feedback, and change course when new facts affect the analysis. The Department’s emphasis on thoughtful questions makes curiosity a practical interview skill, not just a personality trait.

Common mistakes to avoid

The most serious mistake is treating Colorado admission as a detail to resolve after an offer. The requirement applies before the start date and cannot be replaced by Student Practice Act authorization. Confirm your route and timing early.

Another mistake is applying to several tracks with identical materials. The Department asks for a separate packet for each position and specifically requests position fit in the cover letter. A common core resume can work, but the cover letter should reflect the section’s work and the term length. The Carr Fellowship, for example, calls for a different appellate story than the Consumer Protection or Cybersecurity Fellowship.

Do not submit a confidential writing sample. Remove privileged information, client identifiers, and protected facts before considering a sample. If editing would make the document misleading or remove the legal reasoning, choose another sample. Also avoid exceeding 10 pages; a longer sample does not automatically demonstrate stronger analysis.

Finally, do not describe the salary as a scholarship or assume that every Fellow receives the same compensation. The page lists $65,000 for 2027 graduates and $68,000 for second-year Fellows or candidates with at least one full year of legal experience. Ask the Department how a particular appointment will be classified, and review the complete benefits and employment terms before accepting.

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2027 application open?

The Department says applications open in August 2026 and must be submitted by September 28, 2026. The positions begin in November 2027.

Is this a paid fellowship?

Yes. The published annual salary is $65,000 for 2027 law school graduates. The page lists $68,000 for Fellows in their second year or for candidates with at least one full year of legal experience, plus medical and dental benefits and the state benefits package.

Can a law student apply before graduating?

Yes, if the student will graduate by Spring 2027. Recent law school graduates who are currently clerking may also apply.

Must I already be admitted to the Colorado bar when I apply?

Not necessarily, but every Fellow must be a sworn member of the Colorado bar before the Fellowship begins in November 2027. Student Practice Act status is not enough at the start.

Can I apply for several Fellowship positions?

Yes, but the Department requires a separate application packet for each position. Each packet should include the required materials and a cover letter tailored to that track.

How long is the appointment?

Most listed Fellowships are one-year appointments running from November 2027 through October 2028. Ralph L. Carr Appellate Fellowships typically run two years, through October 2029.

Official links and next steps

Read the Colorado Department of Law Fellowship page for the authoritative position descriptions, eligibility rules, compensation, timeline, and materials list. Submit materials through the Department’s official Fellowship application page. Questions about the application can be sent to [email protected].

Before submitting, choose the position or positions that match your actual experience, confirm the Colorado bar path, request your transcript, identify three references, and select a safe writing sample under 10 pages. Draft a separate cover letter for every position. Then verify the file names, check that no document contains confidential or privileged material, and submit each complete packet before September 28, 2026.