Lantos Congressional Fellows Program

In 2001, Congressman Lantos led an effort to bring young European professionals interested in human rights policy to work in the United States Congress. That program still exists today under the auspices of the Lantos Foundation and has been formalized as the Tom Lantos Congressional Fellows program. 

Each year, we select distinguished European and Israeli scholars with a proven track record of human rights and governance engagement to serve as Lantos Fellows. Those selected during our rigorous vetting process come to the United States for an extended period to learn about the inner workings of the Congress and to gain a greater understanding of the role human rights plays in the American legislative process. In general, Lantos Fellows will have completed their undergraduate degrees and are most often post-graduate studies professionals.

During their time in Washington, these scholars are hosted by Congressional offices and work on a variety of policy issues. In addition to their time on Capitol Hill, Lantos Fellows are also provided the opportunity to meet and learn from a variety of human rights professionals working in Washington, DC through regular lunch seminars organized by the Foundation. 

Our goal for the Lantos Congressional Fellows program is to inspire the next generation of human rights leaders and build bridges between the human rights communities in America and Europe/Israel. We are proud that Lantos Fellow alumni, now numbering more than 100, have gone on to have outstanding careers in government, elected office, business and the NGO world – always remembering the important lessons learned during their time in Washington, DC.  

During their stay in Washington, Lantos Fellows are provided with furnished housing in addition to a monetary stipend. The Lantos Foundation also helps coordinate and pay for required visa services (all Lantos Fellows must qualify for a J1-Visa). 

Questions can be submitted to fellows@lantosfoundation.org