Fellowships and Internships

Open Horizon is committed to creating pathways for professional growth and financial stability. Through policy advocacy, educational programs, and support for initiatives that provide practical experience, we empower individuals to build successful careers.

Open Horizon funds opportunities for students and recent graduates to gain hands-on experience with our non-profit partners. These experiences not only foster professional development and skill-building but also enhance the financial prospects of participants. By supporting their growth, we help cultivate the next generation of leaders, while simultaneously advancing the missions of our partner organizations through valuable contributions to their teams.

Open Horizon currently partners with the following organization to support Fellowship and Internship programs:


Open Horizon Criminal Justice Fellowship at Council for Court Excellence

Open Horizon’s Criminal Justice Fellowship at the Council for Court Excellence (CCE) offers a D.C. law school graduate a one-year opportunity to work on local criminal justice research, policy advocacy, and educational initiatives.

For nearly 40 years, CCE has been a nonpartisan nonprofit dedicated to creating a fair and equitable justice system in D.C. By convening diverse stakeholders, CCE addresses justice-related issues, makes data-driven policy recommendations, advocates for reform, and educates the public to increase civic engagement.

Crystal Nieves Murphy 2024-2025 Fellow

As the 2024-2025 Open Horizon Criminal Justice Fellow, Crystal will be working with various individuals in the DC justice system to create policy with the goal of improving the current DC criminal legal system for all Washingtonians. Crystal just received a JD from the Washington College of Law at American University in 2024. While there where she was part of multiple award-winning teams at the INADR International Mediation Tournament; she also served as the Events Coordinator and Vice President with the Alternative Dispute Resolution Honor Society. During law school, Crystal was a student attorney for the Criminal Justice Clinic, a Dean’s Fellow for the Immigrant Justice Clinic, and was also the 2024 winner of the Andrew E. Taslitz Award for outstanding student in criminal justice. Her internships include the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia, the Maryland Office of the Public Defender, Rosenberg & Fayne, and Ayuda. She also holds a B.A. in International Affairs and Political Science from the George Washington University.

Previous Open Horizon Criminal Justice Fellows at CCE

Morgan Grizzle (2023-2024 Fellow)

Anya Kreider (2022-2023 Fellow)

Open Horizon National Health Law Program Summer Internships

For 50 years, the National Health Law Program (NHeLP) has advocated for low-income individuals, people with disabilities, and children, working to improve access to quality healthcare and uphold their legal rights. NHeLP’s lawyers and policy experts fight for affordable, non-discriminatory healthcare through advocacy and litigation.

The Open Horizon Summer internship offers undergraduate and graduate students with the chance to spend a summer with NHeLP, learning from experts, gaining insight into public interest advocacy, and supporting NHeLP’s mission while preparing the next generation of health rights advocates.

Summer 2024 Interns

“We will raise this wounded world into a wondrous one…There is always light if only we’re brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it.”

– Amanda Gorman, reciting ‘”The Hill We Climb” at the 2021 inauguration

Laura SweetFellowships and Internships