H. Stewart Dunn, Jr. Civil Liberties Project


Wren BuildingOver the years, countless members of the William & Mary community have found ways support and defend civil liberties guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. For some of our graduates, this work becomes a full-time pursuit. For many others, dedication to advancing our civil liberties takes place "on the side," proving that it is possible to remain civically engaged in defending civil liberties regardless of one's vocation. Building on this strong tradition, William & Mary's faculty is committed to encouraging civic engagement and to providing a broad civil liberties education taught from many different angles.

Thanks to a generous donation by Timothy P. Dunn and his wife, Ellen R. Stofan, the College of William & Mary will build on this commitment. Their $1.1 million gift established the H. Stewart Dunn, Jr. Civil Liberties Project.  The Project provides support for undergraduate and law student research, as well as summer internships and post-graduate fellowships with organizations that support or protect civil liberties.  The Project also funds guest lectures and collaborative teaching of civil liberties in the Law School and undergraduate academic programs.

Internships

Every summer, William & Mary students intern at organizations across the nation, including civil liberties organizations like the ACLU and the Brennan Center.  The law school supports student internships through Public Service Fellowships (PSF), allocating fellowship money to students in eligible internships. However, the PSF funding process is limited in scope; it is not possible to fund every deserving student. The H. Stewart Dunn, Jr. Civil Liberties Project helps fill this gap, funding students interested in summer internships at organizations dedicated to protecting our civil liberties. 

To learn more about how to become a Dunn Fellow, click here. To learn more about previous Dunn Civil Liberties Fellows, click here

Guest Lecturers

Justice O'Connor, Chancellor of the Law School, speaks to a group of William and Mary students.As any William & Mary student knows, guest lectures are an important means of connecting William & Mary students with the outside world. 

Each academic year, the Dunn Civil Liberties Project supports a series of guest lectures by prominent civil liberties practitioners. We invite compelling speakers to inspire our students to incorporate civil liberties work into their lives. Guest lecturers also engage our students in the classroom, taking part in a series of interdisciplinary workshops designed to foster a collaborative approach to the teaching of civil liberties at the Law School and College.

To learn more about upcoming Dunn Guest Lectures, click here.