The Lipman Fellowship in Civil and Human Rights Reporting is a non-residential program but the fellows have access to the resources of the Journalism School and university libraries.

Fellows will produce a 5,000-word story or series regarding civil and human rights broadly construed, such as voting rights, use of force by police, employment and other discrimination, human trafficking, child labor and more. The story must be published upon acceptance by the Lipman Center.

Fellows must publish their finished stories within a year of accepting the fellowship and give the Lipman Center confirmation that their employers agree to publication. Freelancers must have a news outlet or magazine lined up to publish their fellowship stories. Fellows may be invited to campus to give a public presentation about their work, and upon mutual agreement, may also lecture, mentor and advise students.