Course Content
Executive Fellowship Program Overview
2026-2027 Executive Fellowship Program Overview OneJustice’s Executive Fellowship is a ten-month intensive program that expands the capacity of nonprofit legal organizations to serve their clients by supporting and training a diverse class of executive directors and emerging leaders in core business and management skills. The Executive Fellowship delivers graduate-level nonprofit management content with a focus on learning that is both multi-modal and peer-based, with classmates from similar organizational backgrounds. For 2026-2027, the Executive Fellowship program will be offered in a fully virtual format, completely online. Program Structure: The Executive Fellowship program starts and ends with mandatory sessions: a 2-day opening session on September 17-18, 2026, and a graduation program on June 10, 2027. All sessions will be held virtually via Zoom. Fellows are expected to attend all October to May sessions with up to 2 excused absences. How the Program Works: OneJustice staff and external trainers will guide Fellows through a combination of presentations, peer learning sessions, discussions, and capstone projects to build the leadership and management skills necessary to lead legal aid and public interest nonprofit organizations effectively and efficiently. The capstone project will provide Fellows with an opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills gained in the program to a current organizational challenge or opportunity. Through coaching and the completion of a capstone project, Fellows will leave the program with concrete action plans to maximize their organization’s impact on the community it seeks to serve. Capstone Project Coaching and Support: Fellows will receive coaching on their capstone project from a OneJustice staff member. We will help Fellows brainstorm and identify a suitable capstone topic and provide guidance and support on the research, design, and implementation of the capstone project. From September 2026 through January 2027, plan to spend roughly 2–3 hours per month outside of scheduled sessions working on your Capstone Project assignments. Expect an increase of up to 10 hours per month from February–May as you conduct research, complete your Financial Context Analysis, finalize your Capstone Memo, and prepare your presentation. Fellows will be expected to complete deliverables on their capstone project throughout the program, including a 3-5 page memo and an oral presentation of their findings. Completion of the written capstone memo and the oral presentation are required to graduate from the Executive Fellowship program.
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2026-2027 Executive Fellowship Program Overview
Fellowship Cohort and Bios
Quiz 1
Leading Yourself & Sustainable Leadership – September 17, 2026
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Session 1 Preperation Guide
Session Materials
Being a Leader for Your Team and Organization – September 18, 2026
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Session Agenda
Session 2 Preperation Guide
Session Materials
Nonprofit Governance – October 15, 2026
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About this session
Post Session Materials – Recording
Hot Seat #1 (group brainstorming & problemsolving) – October 29, 2026
Nonprofit Finance 101 – November 19, 2026
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About this session
Financial Storytelling – December 10, 2026
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About this session
Raising Resources – January 14, 2027
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About this session
Hot Seat #2 (group brainstorming & problem-solving) – February 4, 2027
Change Management & Crucial Communications – March 4, 2027
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About this session
Capstone Workday – April 8, 2027
Capstone Presentations Day 1 – May 6, 2027
Capstone Presentations Day 2 – May 20, 2027:
Graduation – Thursday, June 11, 2026:
Capstone Project Overview and Materials
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Overview of the Capstone Project
Draft Capstone Question - due 10/15/26
Final Capstone Question - due 11/19/26
Environmental and Organizational Context - due 12/17/26
Build a Research Plan - due 1/28/27
Conduct Research & Financial Context Analysis - February - April
Draft Capstone Memo - due 4/22/27
Final Capstone Memo - due 5/06/27
Protected: Executive Fellowship 2026/2027 Cohort

Preparation Guide

Session 1: Leading Yourself & Sustainable Leadership

Thursday, September 17, 2026  ·  9:30 AM – 3:30 PM Pacific  ·  Virtual (Zoom)

ZOOM link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83552431315?pwd=m7jPUFTPxkEkbZlp4boxwtK65LoYUV.1

Meeting ID: 835 5243 1315  (passcode is embedded in the link above)

Training Objectives

In this session, Fellows will build a foundation of shared language and understanding of the Fellowship’s objectives, curriculum, and key concepts. Fellows will examine core elements of high-performing leadership, understand their individual strengths in the context of teams and leadership through the CliftonStrengths Top 5 assessment, and begin developing sustainable practices for leading themselves through the demands of the role.

Required Reading and Prompts

  • “Leading with Purpose: Steering Legal Aid through Uncertain Times” (Martina Cucullu Lim) — attached separately — our core reading for the High-Performing Leaders and Sustainable Leadership segment. Questions to consider while reading:
    • How do you define high-performing leadership?
    • How do you think you are performing as a leader?
    • Where do you think you can improve as an executive leader?
    • Are there any specific aspects of leadership you want to learn from the Fellowship and work on this year?
  • “Vicarious Trauma: A Primer for Legal Aid Leaders” — attached separately — during the session we will be discussing sustainable leadership, both from the perspective of the individual and the organization, and will hold the reality of vicarious trauma in the legal aid sector and the role it plays in sustainable leadership.

Optional Supplementary Reading

CliftonStrengths Top 5 Assessment

You will receive a separate email with a link and unique access code to take the CliftonStrengths Top 5 assessment (about 45 minutes). Please complete it in advance of Session 1 — your results will be discussed during the session, and again in Session 2. We will not share your individual report with anyone else.

Exercise Files
Leading with Purpose Steering Legal Aid through Uncertain Times.pdf
Size: 74.67 KB
Vicarious Trauma A Primer for Legal Aid Leaders.pdf
Size: 146.24 KB
Sessions_1_Prep_Guide_2026-2027 (1).pdf
Size: 196.55 KB
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