Fellowships Overview

The William & Mary Law School and the Omohundro Institute of Early American History & Culture (OI) are pleased to offer a one-month visiting fellowship for scholars—from advanced graduate students to senior scholars—with strong interests in early American legal history. Fellows must make use of some of the resources included in the collection of rare books donated to the Wolf Law Library at W&M by Sid Lapidus as part of the exhibition “British and Colonial Antecedents of American Liberties” (October 1, 2019 through March 15, 2020). A full listing of those books can be found HERE.  

In addition to access to the rare book collection and proximity to a number of other Virginia research institutions—including the St. George Tucker collection and other items in Special Collections at W&M’s Swem Library, the Rockefeller Library at Colonial Williamsburg, the Library of Virginia, and the Virginia Museum of History and Culture—the fellowship provides the opportunity to experience the OI’s editorial expertise and intellectual community of early Americanists and the archive expertise of the Wolf Law Library staff. 

Fellowships carry a stipend of $2,500. Fellows are expected to make their own travel and lodging arrangements for a research period in Williamsburg that lasts between one and four weeks as the scholar deems necessary. While fellows are not required to use their fellowship funds during the summer months, they are encouraged to do so if they intend to stay in Williamsburg for a prolonged period. Modest housing on the campus of W&M is available during the months of June and July at below-market rates.

Applicants should submit:

• Project Description including a statement of how the collection would be helpful to your research (500 words maximum)
• c.v. (2 pages maximum)

Applicants should request:

• Two letters of recommendation (to be sent to the OI directly at oieahc@wm.edu by the recommenders)