PIUS LANGA MEMORIAL FELLOWSHIP - CALL FOR APPLICATIONS 2026 - 2027

The Pius Langa Memorial Fellowship was established in 2021 in honour of Chief Justice Pius Langa. The purpose of this fellowship is to provide an opportunity for an exceptional early career lawyer from Africa who has clerked at the Constitutional Court of South Africa, or worked at a South African NGO on a legal programme focused on constitutional and human rights law, to study at University College London (UCL) in the United Kingdom on a one-year graduate programme leading to a Masters of Law (LLM) degree.

The fellowship is administered by the Constitutional Court Trust (CCT), a South African non-profit organisation that exists to promote human rights, the rule of law, constitutionalism and judicial independence in the African region – with a special focus on the Constitutional Court of South Africa. It does so through artistic expression, legal scholarship and exchange programmes, public education and library initiatives.

The fellowship is funded by monies managed by CCT’s kindred organisation, the UK-registered charity the South African Constitutional Court Trust (UK), with a full tuition waiver generously provided by UCL Faculty of Laws.

DETAILS OF THE FELLOWSHIP

One fellowship will be awarded for the 2026 – 2027 academic year.
It will be tenable at UCL Faculty of Laws in London.
The fellowship includes a full tuition waiver from UCL and an award of GBP21,800 which is specifically intended to cover travel and living expenses associated with studies.
Fellows must include at least one module relating to human rights or constitutional law as part of the LLM studies they undertake at UCL Faculty of Laws pursuant to the Pius Langa Memorial Fellowship.

The award is conditional on the prospective fellow being offered a place on the full-time LLM programme at UCL Faculty of Laws in the academic year for which the award of the Fellowship is made. For the avoidance of doubt, the prospective fellow will need to apply to the fellowship programme, and for admission to UCL Faculty of Laws LLM5, separately, which LLM application will be considered under the normal admissions procedure and criteria.

APPLICATION PROCESS
Who is eligible to apply?
Applicants must be nationals of an African country who are either law clerks or former law clerks of the South African Constitutional Court, or early career lawyers active in South African civil society, working for a South African NGO or Chapter 9 institution in a legal programme primarily focused on constitutional and human rights law.

Applicants must have demonstrated a commitment to human rights and an intention to continue working in the area of human rights and / or constitutional law as it relates to South Africa and / or Africa.

While a balanced approach will be taken in the assessment of all prospective fellows, preference will be given to applicants who:

do not already hold an LLM degree;
have not had the opportunity to study abroad;
will be no older than 35 years of age at the start of proposed studies.

How to apply
Applicants must send their applications to PLMF@concourttrust.org.za by email by Sunday 5 October 2025.

Applications should include the following:

A 1 – 2 page motivational letter on why you should be awarded the fellowship.
A curriculum vitae (CV) no longer than 3 pages.University transcripts for all higher education qualifications, noting that an excellent academic record is a prerequisite for consideration as a fellow.
One example of written work, relevant to your application, and demonstrating your ability to excel in a top tier LLM programme. The indicative length for writing samples is 2000 to 3000 words – please do not submit longer pieces of writing. Contextualised extracts are acceptable.
Two recent, professional letters of support – at least one should relate to work undertaken by the applicant in South African civil society, or at the Constitutional Court in South Africa. If listing a current permanent Constitutional Court Justice as a referee, the name of the judge will suffice - no letter is required.

Interviews of shortlisted candidates will take place at the Constitutional Court in late October 2025.

The Constitutional Court Trust and UCL Faculty of Laws reserve the right not to appoint a fellow in any given year.