Mason Gibbs Plaintiffs’ Pathway Fellowship

Last updated: December 12, 2025

(Looking for 2L opportunities? Visit our Gibbs Mura 2L Summer Associate Program page.)

Hosted by Danielle Ward Mason and Eric Gibbs, the Mason Gibbs Plaintiffs’ Pathway Fellowship (formerly the “Gibbs Law Group Fellowship”) is seeking outstanding 1Ls from a broad range of backgrounds and experiences who are interested in a career representing plaintiffs. You will have the opportunity to help consumers, workers, investors, and survivors hold some of the largest corporations in the country accountable for misconduct.

Key benefits:

• 10 week paid summer position for 1Ls
• Compensation: $2,200 weekly salary, plus additional stipend for law school tuition
• Attendance at the American Association for Justice’s Annual Convention
• Work on high impact cases
• Hands-on mentorship from accomplished plaintiffs’ attorneys

Firm placement:

Fellows will be placed at Gibbs Mura LLP, in Oakland, CA; Singleton Schreiber, with offices across the country; Koskoff Koskoff & Bieder, PC, in Bridgeport, CT; or other participating firms.

How to apply for the Fellowship – deadline of December 28th!

We are now accepting applications at the portal below, until the deadline of 11:59 PST on December 28, 2025.

The Mason Gibbs Plaintiffs’ Pathway Fellowship is open to all 1L law students enrolled in an ABA-accredited law school or a state-accredited law school, so long as you will be eligible to sit for the bar in your desired jurisdiction upon graduation, regardless of race, color, religion, citizenship, national origin, gender, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, military service, disability, or any other characteristic or condition protected by applicable law.

The application portal allows you to save your progress and return at a later time.

Application components include the following:

• Contact information
• Resume (must be pdf format)
• Transcript (must be provided later, after submitting your application; visit portal for full details)
• Essay questions
• Fellowship interests survey

AI policy for essay questions

We are interested in learning about you, your goals, and your authentic voice through these essay prompts. While the Fellowship does not prohibit use of AI in preparing responses, we strongly encourage you to ensure the materials you submit reflect your experiences and perspectives. Obvious use of AI that is not tailored to your specific writing voice and experiences is discouraged. As we evaluate a large number of applications, responses that appear generic or heavily AI-generated may prevent reviewers from accurately assessing your application.

Application essay questions:

1. Why are you interested in spending your 1L summer representing plaintiffs in civil litigation? (250 words maximum)
2. How have your personal background and experiences shaped your views on fairness in the legal profession? (250 words maximum)
3. Optional: What do you perceive to be a significant obstacle in achieving equal access to the legal profession?  What might be done to address this obstacle? (250-500 words)

About Danielle Ward Mason and Eric Gibbs

As co-leaders of the Fellowship, Danielle and Eric share a vision of broadening the pathway to the plaintiffs’ bar. This Fellowship seeks talented students interested in becoming litigators for marginalized communities and vulnerable people in high impact matters.

Danielle Ward Mason
Singleton Schreiber

• Secured nearly $1 billion in verdicts against Johnson & Johnson for failing to warn about ovarian cancer risks from its talcum powder products
• Represents over 6,000 hair relaxer clients nationwide and won a unanimous Georgia Supreme Court ruling that lets product liability claims against hair relaxers proceed
• First Black woman to be named partner at two major national law firms

Eric Gibbs
Gibbs Mura, A Law Group

• Co-led the teams recovering over $1 billion from the utility PG&E for survivors of wildfires in Northern California
• Represents hundreds of children and families alleging injuries from addiction to TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, and other social media platforms
• Previously secured record-breaking data breach and privacy settlements

What can you expect from the Fellowship?

Here’s what former Fellows have said about the program:

[T]he level of thoughtfulness and care the attorneys put into the summer program surprised me. It felt like the whole firm was focused on making sure we received the best training and experience possible.

Yusuf A.

I was not aware that there were careers where I could both help real people and take care of my family. My law school only really pushes big law and public interest. I am applying to plaintiff-side litigation firms for next summer!

Lizbeth M.

I grew more as a researcher and writer in my time [as a fellow] than I did in my entire 1L year. I got to do substantive work on hugely important cases where we represented thousands and thousands of clients. The associates and the partners gave extensive feedback and advice on improving my work product and research methods.

Summer H.

Questions?

Please email fellowship@classlawgroup.com.