Student Grants and Awards

The Willamette University Center for Religion, Law and Democracy is an interdisciplinary center devoted to the exploration of the role of religion in law and in public life.  The Center draws on Willamette’s historic and ongoing strengths as a church-related college committed to academic excellence, public policy and public service.

Student Summer Internship Grants

The Center is offering two grants of $3000 each for student internships in the summer of 2009.  The grants are open to CLA students and graduate and professional students in the College of Law, Atkinson School of Management, and School of Education.  The purpose of the internships is to fund student summer work in a government agency, religious organization, or public interest organization that woks on issues relating to religion in public life.  The work should be of a substantive, non-clerical nature that enhances the student’s educational experience and longer-term professional and life goals.

Students are expected to locate a placement, but assistance is available through the Center and the Office of the Chaplain.  Examples of possible placement sites include: Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon (Public Policy and Environmental ministries programs); Jewish Federation of Portland; ACLU of Oregon; or nationally based organizations such as the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty or Americans Untied for Separation of Church and State.

Best Student Paper Award

This award is bestowed annually on the Willamette student who has written the best seminar or term paper (i.e., not a senior thesis) exploring a subject at the intersection of religion, law and democracy.  The paper must have been written for a class during the previous spring or fall semester and should demonstrate original thinking, excellent writing and research skills, and familiarity with the most important disciplinary conventions. 

The award is $500.

|Best Student Paper Award Information|