Program Summary

Between 2007 and 2009, the Legal and Business Fellowship Program (LBFP) brought nearly 90 young Arab professional women to the United States for a combination of executive education at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School and Law School and fellowships at top-tier law firms and leading companies across the United States. The program, which was funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Middle East Partnership Initiative, enabled them to improve their professional skills and gain valuable experience working in the U.S. business and legal environment.

Main Goals

• Enable talented, promising young Arab professional women from across the Middle East and North Africa to access U.S. educational opportunities in law and business and experience the U.S.professional environment
• Provide entrepreneurship training, networking, and mentoring resources that contribute significantly to leveling the playing field and improving career prospects for women from the region

Project Highlights

• Month-long executive education course at the University of Pennsylvania’s WhartonSchool andPennLawSchool
• Fellowships lasting three to four months with top-tier law firms and Fortune 500 companies across theUnited States
• Creation of an alumnae network and publication of newsletter and website to provide support and keep alumnae informed of recent developments of interest

Project Activities and Results

• Thirty-six women participated in the 2007 LBFP round; 28 in the 2008 round; and 24 in the 2009 round.The LBFP fellows represented the region; they came from Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, West Bank, and Yemen.
• LBFP targeted young Arab women professionals ranging in age from 22 to 32 who were at a pivotal point in their careers. By selecting participants based on their leadership potential and commitment to professional growth in the business and legal sectors of their local economies, the program has helped nurtured a group of women who have the potential to positively impact the development of the legal and business sectors in their home countries.
• LBFP was preceded by the U.S. Business Internship Program for Young Middle Eastern Women (MEPI-BIP), which provided around 100 young Arab women professionals a similar challenge of executive education and on-the-job training during three rounds conducted between 2004 and 2007. LBFP and MEPI-BIP alumnae have been joined in an alumnae support network that seeks to extend the benefits and impact of their U.S.-based programs.