Huneke Fellowship
International Practice Section

The Huneke Fellowship

Page Navigation

Huneke Fellowship General Information

The Huneke Fellowship is an annual program administered by the Washington State Bar Association's International Practice Section (IPS). The Fellowship is designed to provide real-world experience, networking opportunities, and modest financial assistance for law students interested in the international practice of law. Huneke Fellows have the opportunity to work directly with practitioners in the field of international law on IPS events and logistics. Each year the IPS awards a Huneke Fellowship, which includes a $1,000 stipend, to one or more rising law students (including current 1L, 2L, and LLM students) who will continue to be enrolled in the 2025-2026 academic year.

Each Huneke Fellow agrees to serve as an official student liaison of the IPS for the subsequent school year and is expected to:

• Act as the chief point of contact between the IPS and the law schools;
• Assist with the planning and execution of IPS initiatives such as the Mentor-Mentee Program, the Spring CLE event, and the Annual General Meeting;
• Publicize each IPS event at all three Washington state law schools; and
• Encourage interested law students to become IPS members and apply for the following year's Fellowship.

Any rising law student (including current 1L, 2L, and LLM students) who will continue to be enrolled during the 2025-2026 academic year attending law school in the state of Washington (i.e., at the University of Washington, Seattle University, or Gonzaga University) is eligible for the Huneke Fellowship.

The Huneke Fellowship was created to honor the memory of Rob Huneke, a dedicated and highly regarded international attorney who served for many years on the Executive Committee of the International Practice Section before passing away at a young age. Rob volunteered countless hours to improve the International Practice Section and the services it provided to section members and was highly supportive of young lawyers trying to develop an international practice.

Back to top

How to Apply

Applications are accepted through April of each year, with voting taking place at the May Section Executive Committee meeting. Recipients of the fellowship will be announced in June.

To apply for the Huneke Fellowship, please send the following materials to Michael Harris at mharris@capitolservices.com.

Deadline to apply: April 30, 2025

Materials to apply:

1. Cover Letter (maximum 500 words)
2. Resume
3. Transcript
4. Short Writing Sample (3-5 pages)

Back to top

Past Huneke Fellows

Back to top

History of the Huneke Fellowship

Rob Huneke was a dedicated and highly regarded international attorney who served for many years on the Executive Committee of the International Practice Section. A fourth general attorney, Rob attended Gonzaga Law School and practiced his entire career in Spokane.

Rob Volunteered countless hours to improve the International Practice Section and the services it provided to section members. He was highly supportive of young lawyers trying to develop an international practice and always made sure that everyone had an equal chance at service and business opportunities. Rob was an exemplary professional who exhibited the best qualities of a lawyer and was liked and respected by everyone that came into contact with him.

Diagnosed with cancer at a young age, Rob died on Sept. 20, 1997, after a few months of treatment. His passing was great loss to the International Practice Section and to Washington state's legal community.

Shortly after Rob Huneke passed, the Executive Committee of the International Practice Section established the Huneke Fellowship to honor his memory and the standard he set for excellence in the practice of international law. The Huneke Fellowship is intended to assist and develop the next generation of international lawyers by enabling a current law student to take on a meaningful role with the International Practice Section.

Back to top

Application Timeline

• April — Section accepts applications from students of the three major Washington state Universities (Univ. of Washington, Seattle University, and Gonzaga University Schools of Law)
• May — Applications are voted on by the Section's Executive Committee at their May Executive Committee meeting
• June — Winners of the fellowship are notified and announced
• October — Fellowship Tenure begins

Back to top