Poland has taken the brunt of the humanitarian impact of Russia’s attack on Ukraine as more than two million refugees have fled to Poland since the start of the war. It is now apparent that most of the refugees will remain in Poland for the foreseeable future and there is a need to provide them with longer-term assistance. Some of the refugees are lawyers and law faculty members and two leading Polish lawyers have set up the Legal Solidarity Fund to provide annual fellowships to Ukrainian legal scholars.

 The goal of the initiative is to provide 25 fellowships of 100,000 PLN each (roughly equivalent to 25,000 USD) that will cover remuneration, accommodation and reallocation expenses. The Fund is being financed with contributions from international and Polish law firms. The fellows will be selected through a competitive open call process by a committee that will be comprised of representatives of law firms that contribute to the Fund. The goal of the Fund is to select individuals who will return to Ukraine following the war and play a critical role in rebuilding the country. During the fellowship the fellows will work at various law schools throughout Poland and conduct seminars, do research and assist with the Ukrainian students who are studying at the Polish universities. In addition, it is envisaged that foreign law faculty members, including law professors from US law schools, will mentor the fellows and help them establish a network of colleagues who could provide assistance upon their return to Ukraine.