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Career Services Office

Career Services Office home page
Week of November 23, 2015

Information & Announcements

  • Community Based Federal Work Study Available for Spring 2016 - Applications due January 8
  • Mandatory 1L Legal Resume and Cover Letter Workshops
  • Public Interest Resource Center (PIRC) hosts office hours in the CSO
  • CareerShift
  • Mandatory Meetings for 2Ls and 3Ls
  • Free ABA Memberships for Students

Fall Recruiting

Programming

  • ILAO/PILI Webinar: How to Apply for Internships and Externships
  • December 1: Navy JAG Corps Information Session
  • December 4: ISBA Young Lawyers Division Holiday Party
  • December 10: Constitutional Rights Foundation Chicago 3rd Annual Drinks for a Claus Holiday Party and Toy Drive
  • December 17: CBA Young Lawyers Section Holiday Party

Employment Opportunities

  • Judicial Intern Opportunity Program (JIOP) - Applications due January 4
  • Access2Practice Legal Externship Program - Spring 2016 - Applications due January 7
  • Judicial Externship Program - Spring 2016 - Applications due January 11
  • Federal Work Study Available at Government/Legal Aid Organizations - Spring 2016 (Apply Now!) - Applications due January 8
  • Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI) - Accepting Summer Applications from 2L's Now and December 1 for 1Ls!
  • Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI) - Accepting Applications for Spring 2016 Now!
  • Judicial Resources Committee and Just the Beginning – A Pipeline Organization 2016 Summer Judicial Internship Diversity Project - Applications due January 11
  • American Bar Association Business Law Section Diversity Clerkship Program - Applications due January 8
  • U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois Summer 2016 Law Student Intern Program - Applications due January 11
  • Twin Cities Diversity in Practice 2016 1L Summer Clerkship program - Applications due January 15.
  • EPIC Internet Public Interest Opportunities Program (IPIOP) Clerkships - Applications for summer due February 5

Fellowships & Scholarships

  • 2016 1L LCLD Scholars Program
  • Vedder Price Diversity Scholarship for First-Year Law Students - Applications due December 31
  • Franczek Radelet LEADS Fellowship Program - Applications due January 9
  • Fish & Richardson 1L Diversity Fellowship Program - Applications due January 10
  • Donald W. Banner Diversity Scholarship for Law Students - Applications due January 11
  • Harter Secrest & Emery LLP Diversity Scholarship - Applications due January 11
  • National Lawyers Guild Haywood Burns Memorial Fellowships - Applications due January 11
  • Latham & Watkins 1L Fellowship Program for Summer 2016 - Applications due January 11
  • Janet D. Steiger Fellowship Project - Applications due January 15
  • Chicago Schweitzer Fellowship Program - Applications due February 1
  • Fredrikson & Byron 1L Minority Scholarship Program - Applications due March 31

Job Fairs

  • Veterans' Legal Career Fair - April 29-30 in Washington, D.C. 

Diversity

  • 2016 1L LCLD Scholars Program
  • Leadership Council on Legal Diversity’s 1L Individual Mentoring Program - Registration Now Open!
  • Vedder Price Diversity Scholarship for First-Year Law Students - Applications due December 31
  • Judicial Intern Opportunity Program (JIOP) - Applications due January 4
  • American Bar Association Business Law Section Diversity Clerkship Program - Applications due January 8
  • Franczek Radelet LEADS Fellowship Program - Applications due January 9
  • Fish & Richardson 1L Diversity Fellowship Program - Applications due January 10
  • Donald W. Banner Diversity Scholarship for Law Students - Applications due January 11
  • Harter Secrest & Emery LLP Diversity Scholarship - Applications due January 11
  • Latham & Watkins 1L Fellowship Program for Summer 2016 - Applications due January 11
  • Latham & Watkins 1L Diversity Leadership Academy - Applications due January 11
  • Twin Cities Diversity in Practice 2016 1L Summer Clerkship program - Applications due January 15
  • Fredrikson & Byron 1L Minority Scholarship Program - Applications due March 31
  • Judicial Resources Committee and Just the Beginning – A Pipeline Organization 2016 Summer Judicial Internship Diversity Project - Applications due January 11

Resources

  • Government Honors & Internship Handbook & Public Policy Handbook: log-in now available
  • 2015-2016 PSJD Comprehensive Fellowship Guide
  • Equal Justice Works’ Student Debt E-Book: Take Control of Your Future: A Guide to Managing Your Student Debt
  • CSO Resources

Information & Announcements

Community Based Federal Work Study Available for Spring 2016 - Applications due January 8, 2016

Chicago-Kent will have Community-Based Federal Work Study available during the Spring 2016 semester.  Chicago-Kent 2L & 3L students who are Federal Work Study eligible may be paid though Federal Work Study funds to work at government and public interest organizations outside of the law school.  A limited amount of funds are available, and students who have a federal work study award must secure their job placement by the deadline.  Please visit the Chicago-Kent Community-Based Federal Work Study webpage for a more detailed explanation of this opportunity, as well as the form you need to complete in order to participate.  Forms are due in the Career Services Office by Friday, January 8, 2015.  Please e-mail Michelle Vodenik (mvodenik@kentlaw.iit.edu) with any questions.

Mandatory 1L Legal Resume and Cover Letter Workshops

The MANDATORY 1L Legal Resume Workshop and 1L Cover Letter Workshop videos are now available to view. Sign in to Panopto using your kentlaw username and password.

All first-year law students must watch these brief videos. These workshops include detailed instructions for how to draft your legal resume and cover letter.

Before your first career advising appointment, you must have watched the workshop videos and have uploaded a legal resume to Symplicity. Please also bring a copy of your legal resume to your first appointment.

Public Interest Resource Center (PIRC) hosts office hours in the CSO

The Public Interest Resource Center (PIRC) will host office hours in the Career Services Office (Suite 360) on:

  • Monday's 4-5 PM
  • Tuesday's 3:30-4:30 PM
  • Wednesday's 11:45 AM -12:45 PM and 4-5PM

If you are interested in volunteering or pro bono projects please visit the PIRC counselors during office hours or visit the PIRC webpage to be added to the PIRC newsletter and to track your volunteer hours. Students who compete 50 hours, or 250 hours, receive an award for their service at a Public Interest Awards ceremony held April. 

CareerShift

Chicago-Kent has partnered with CareerShift to help with your job search needs. 
CareerShift is a one-stop search engine that allows users to search and review each and every job posting available (such as those on Monster, Indeed, all other job boards and company websites). 
In addition, users can search for jobs and save your searches, find and save a list of contacts, create resumes and cover letters, and put them together in a targeted e-mail or postal mail campaigns. Then you can track your responses from “Come in for an interview” to “You’re hired.” With CareerShift you can:

  • Search every job listing, including job boards and company websites
  • Get inside contact information immediately, including email addresses, for millions of companies
  • Create and organize all of your documents
  • Confidentially market yourself
  • Remain focused and organized
  • Access your secure, private account from anywhere, anytime, 24/7

Sign up for an account at CareerShift and when prompted use the group access code: kentlawcso

Click on “Tutorials” under the “My Organizer” link to view tutorials on how to use all of the job search resources CareerShift has to offer!

Mandatory Meetings for 2Ls and 3Ls

Each 2L and 3L student is required to meet with his or her assigned career advisor by the end of this fall semester.  For those of you interested in applying to larger federal government agencies with early deadlines (e.g. the Department of Justice), or considering participation in the fall public interest job fair Equal Justice Works, we strongly recommend that you schedule this meeting as soon as possible!

Given the difficult market it is more important than ever that you check in with your career advisor to form a strategy to accomplish your career goals.  Please bring your most recent, updated legal resume with you to your meeting with your career advisor.

ABA Offers Free Memberships For Law Students

Effective immediately, the American Bar Association will offer free memberships to all students enrolled in law school. The membership grants law students access to resources tailored to their interests and needs, opportunities to build their professional skills plus access to the ABA’s job listings, clerkships, internships and career events.

You can enroll here - http://www.americanbar.org/abalawstudents.

Fall Recruiting

Programming

ILAO/PILI Webinar: How to Apply for Internships and Externships

Illinois Legal Aid Online (ILAO) and the Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI) have prepared a short (9 minute) webinar on how to use www.illinoisprobono.org to search for a summer internship or externship. The webinar walks you through the application process and provides tips from partnering legal aid organizations. You can access the webinar here: How to Apply for Internships and Externships.

Navy JAG Corps Information Session

Date: Tuesday, December 1
Time: 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
Location: TBA

Interested in the U.S. Navy's Judge Advocate General's (JAG) Corps? Come to an information session on Tuesday, December 1, 2015 at 12:00 p.m. to learn more about a career as a Navy lawyer, and about the application process, from Lieutenant Adam J. Sitte with the U.S. Navy. Please send RSVPs to: kentcso@kentlaw.iit.edu. Learn more about opportunities with the U.S. Navy JAG Corps here: http://www.jag.navy.mil/careers_/index.html

ISBA Young Lawyers Division Holiday Party

Date: Friday, December 4
Time: 7:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Location: Duffy's Tavern and Grille (420½ W. Diversey Pkwy.)

Please join the ISBA Young Lawyers Division for its 18th Annual Holiday Party. Not only will there be warm appetizers, an open bar, dancing, and an opportunity to meet young lawyers from across the state, the event benefits a great cause: the Children’s Assistance Fund.

Initially created to assist with the opening of children's waiting rooms in courthouses across the State of Illinois, the IBF/YLD Children's Assistance Fund has since grown, and now provides funding to organizations across the State of Illinois that provide legal assistance to children, maintain children's waiting rooms in courthouses, work to reduce recidivism of juveniles, and/or work to reduce the incidents of domestic violence in families with children.

The YLD has distributed nearly $300,000.00 in grants through the Children's Assistance Fund over the past sixteen years, due, in large part, to the widespread support and participation in its annual Holiday Party. Please help the YLD to continue this worthy tradition by joining them for this event! Cost: $40.00 per person for tickets purchased at the door the evening of the event.

Constitutional Rights Foundation Chicago 3rd Annual Drinks for a Claus Holiday Party and Toy Drive

Date: Thursday, December 10
Time: 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Location: Jenner & Block LLP (353 N. Clark St., 45th Floor)

CRFC’s Civic Leadership Council invites you to its 3rd Annual Drinks for a Claus Holiday Party and Toy Drive! Come for the view on the 45th floor, come for the unlimited libations, or come to meet new friends. But when you do come, please bring an unwrapped toy for a boy or girl (ages 3-12) and receive a discounted entry* to Drinks for a Claus, where event sales and proceeds from the 50/50 raffle benefit CRFC’s civics programming. To learn more about CRFC, please visit www.crfc.org.   

Drinks for a Claus will benefit CRFC's civic education programs for K-12 students in Chicagoland. The CLC is collecting toys for boys and girls ages 3-12 for McCutcheon Elementary in Chicago, where 97% of the students come from low-income homes. Help the CLC bring cheer to many!

*$5 OFF Event ticket with toy donation. All tickets include unlimited wine, beer and soda and light fare.
**All event and raffle sales must be made online – no ticket or raffle sales at the door. After November 27, event tickets will increase $10, so purchase your ticket now!

CBA Young Lawyers Section Holiday Party

Date: Thursday, December 17
Time: 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Location: Holland & Knight (131 S. Dearborn, 30th Floor)

Kick off the holidays at the Young Lawyers Section Holiday Social on Thursday, December 17, 2015, from 6:00-9:00 p.m., at the law firm of Holland & Knight! Join the YLS for food, spirits, music, and mingling with members of the CBA, all with a great view of Chicago. Holland & Knight is located at 131 S. Dearborn, 30th Floor. Space is limited, so click here to RSVP by December 11! Special thanks to event sponsor, Kenrich Group.

Employment Opportunities

Please check Chicago-Kent's job posting system ("Symplicity") on a regular basis. Check out Symplicity's general instructions for more information.

Judicial Intern Opportunity Program (JIOP) - Applications due January 4, 2016

The mission of the Judicial Intern Opportunity Program is to provide opportunities to students who are members of racial and ethnic groups that are traditionally underrepresented in the profession.  The program also provides opportunities to students with disabilities, students who are economically disadvantaged, and students who identify themselves as LGBT.

The program is a full-time (32 hours per week), six-week minimum, summer internship program open to all first- or second-year diverse law students.  Interns will receive an award of $2,000.

The American Bar Association Section of Litigation will begin accepting applications for its Summer 2016 Judicial Intern Opportunity Program on Tuesday, December 1, 2015 for all first and second year students. Applications are due Monday, January 4, 2016.

See here for more information and to apply!

Access2Practice Legal Externship Program - Spring 2016 - Applications due January 7, 2016

Chicago Kent has long recognized that classes and textbooks alone are not sufficient to complete the education of our students and their transformation into lawyers. Students also need practical experience in real world legal work to gain insight into the strategic and ethical dimensions of the legal profession and to acquire legal skills not accessible in the traditional classroom.

Some students gain experience as paid part-time clerks.  But most students don’t have access to paid or volunteer positions in a legal setting of their choice or one(s) that exposes them to them to what they want to learn. 

Access2Practice Legal Externship Program (LEP) is a 4-credit-hour Pass/Fail program which enables Kent 2Ls and 3Ls to extern in a wide variety of legal areas – civil and criminal – and gives students exposure to and supervision/mentoring in an area of law of their choosing. 

LEP externships are offered in the Fall and Spring semesters and in the Summer session and consist of two separate components: fieldwork and class meetings.

Spring 2016 LEP

Fieldwork: Externs must work 16 hours a week during the Spring semester for a minimum total of 224 hours.

Class:   Wednesdays at 4:00 p.m.

To Obtain a Legal Externship Placement:

The program does not assign students to particular field placements.  Instead a student must apply independently to obtain an externship position.  Each placement has its own independent screening and selection process.

The greater Chicagoland area offers a wide range of placement opportunities.  The large majority of externships are in the public sector. To gain access to posted available externship opportunities, students must consult Symplicity.  To search Symplicity:

Click on “Jobs”, then click on “Advanced Search”, and then “Position Type”.  Several drop-down boxes will appear listing categories of postings.  Search any category that might be applicable, e.g., “Access2Practice Legal Externships”, “Internships”, “Volunteer Internships”, “Fall Volunteer Internships”, “Spring Volunteer Internships”, etc.

Many listings will be marked “For Credit Only”.  That means that a student cannot extern at that placement unless he/she is enrolled as a participant in Chicago-Kent’s LEP. Some postings in Symplicity will allow students the option of either applying to volunteer or to convert the opportunity into a for-credit externship.

Please understand that sometimes employers are able to access Symplicity independently and place postings that are not screened, approved, or endorsed by the law school.

Types of Placements:   

                   1.       Governmental and Public Interest Sectors

Placement sites include county, city, state and federal legislative and executive offices.  For example, students can extern in county offices of the State’s Attorney and Public Defender, the Office of the U.S. Attorney, City of Chicago Department of Law, Office of the Illinois Attorney General, Illinois Commerce Commission, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC), and Equip for Equality.

Externships with a legal aid bureau, legal assistance program or organization, and certain governmental agencies may enable a student to acquire a 711 student practice license and appear in court.

Externing in a public interest placement also counts toward fulfilling some of the required course work in public interest law for the J.D. Certificate in Public Interest Law.

                   2.       Private/For Profit Law Firms and In-House Corporate Legal Departments

For many reasons, unlike in Summer Acess2Practice LEP, private sector placements are excluded in Fall and Spring LEP with the exception of a very limited number of pre-screened and pre-approved private firms and in-house corporate legal departments.  The permissible private opportunities are listed in Symplicity as “For Credit Only”.

To Enroll in the Legal Externship Program:

If you have obtained an externship and wish to convert that into a for-credit Legal Externship, you must schedule an interview with Prof. Gross and submit the attached Legal Externship Program Application. 

Upon receiving an application to Spring 2016 LEP, Prof. Gross will immediately contact the applicant’s prospective supervisor and placement to ensure compliance with C-K externship guidelines and requirements.

Applications for Legal Externship Spring 2016 must be submitted to Prof. Gross by no later than Thursday, January 7, 2016.

You Cannot Extern for a Current Employer Nor Can You Receive Pay for Doing a For-Credit Externship.

The Legal Externship Program is an experiential educational program.  An employer/employee relationship is financial; you do what the employer needs and wants rather than what the law school deems educationally appropriate.  For this reason, the American Association of Law Schools (AALS) does not allow you to get paid and receive school credit for doing the same work.  Moreover, if you were employed by a specific placement, you cannot convert that employer into an externship placement.

If you receive a Spring A2P Legal Externship, you cannot, without prior approval from Prof. Gross,  simultaneously volunteer/work for pay in another legal position during the term of the semester.

Withdrawal from the Externship Program

When you have been approved and registered for LEP, you cannot then withdraw.  Your acceptance to extern and subsequent registration in the program signifies to your externship supervisor/placement that you will complete your externship in a satisfactory and professional manner. 

You May Continue in Legal Externship Program for a Second Semester.

If you wish to continue as a legal extern for a second semester, you must first obtain approval from Professor Gross. 

Contact:

If you have any questions or concerns, contact Prof. Gross (vgross@kentlaw.iit.edu), Director of the A2P Legal Externship Program.

Judicial Externship Program - Spring 2016 - Applications due January 11, 2016

Course Description:

Judicial Externship is a 4-credit hour Pass/Low Pass/Fail program open to students in their second and third year who want to do legal research and writing for a designated federal or state court judge.  A judicial externship enables a student to become involved in particular legal problems through research and writing, and to contribute to the resolution of those problems by writing memoranda and drafting opinions.  Depending upon the judge, an extern may have the opportunity to observe the day-to-day routine of a judge and discuss with the judge or the judge's law clerk those legal problems which attorneys face in their profession, as well as the specific problems confronted in the courtroom.  An accompanying classroom discussion component meets on Fridays from 11:45 a.m. – 12:40 p.m. The class focuses on various aspects of judicial decision-making and, where appropriate, how those aspects affect the extern's work product.

Time Commitment (Fieldwork Component):

All judicial externs will work under the direct supervision of and coordinate their externship schedule with their judge and/or their judge’s law clerk.  The extern must work 16 hours per week for the judge during the Spring semester, for a total of at least 224 hours. For Spring 2016 semester, the fieldwork must be completed to the satisfaction of the judge by Friday, April 29, 2016, the last day of classes.  

Application Procedure:

If you have secured an externship with a judge who is not a participating member in the Chicago-Kent Judicial Externship Program and wish to explore the possibility of converting that opportunity into a for-credit externship, please contact Professor Vivien Gross (vgross@kentlaw.iit.edu) immediately. In addition, please fill out the accompanying application.

Applications must be submitted by Monday, January 11, 2016.

See here for more information.

Federal Work Study Available at Government/Legal Aid Organizations - Spring 2016 (Apply Now!) - Applications due January 8, 2016

Interested in working with a government or public interest organization off-campus and being paid with federal work study funds? Chicago-Kent will have Community-Based Federal Work Study available during the Spring 2016 semester. To find available positions, please log into Symplicity, go to "CSO Jobs" under the "Jobs" tab, and conduct an "Advanced Search" for Federal Work Study positions. There you will find over 20 opportunities to work with a wide-range of government and public interest organizations during Spring 2016. 

Chicago-Kent 2L & 3L students who are Federal Work Study eligible may be paid though Federal Work Study funds and most of the positions are also available as for-credit externships or volunteer, if you prefer.  Please visit the Chicago-Kent Community-Based Federal Work Study webpage for a more detailed explanation about federal work study, as well as the form you need to turn in by Friday, January 8, 2016 to the Career Services Office to request to be paid with federal work study funds. Please e-mail Michelle Vodenik (mvodenik@kentlaw.iit.edu) with any questions.

Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI) - Accepting Summer Applications from 2L's Now and December 1 for 1Ls!

PILI’s online application system is now open for summer 2016. Internship placements are available in Chicago, Peoria and Champaign, Illinois. PILI Interns work 400 hours full-time during the summer in return for a $5,000 stipend.  

In order to apply for the PILI stipend, all applicants must go through the online application system. Applicants must first register with www.IllinoisProBono.org, and may only apply once they have had their registration confirmed. Applicants may apply for all of the available positions in the summer if they are interested, and can upload a customized cover letter for each agency. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until the positions are filled, so APPLY NOW!  For more information and to apply, go here: http://pili.org/internships/intern-how-to-apply

Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI) - Accepting Applications for Spring 2016 Now!

The application system for Spring 2016 PILI Internships is NOW OPEN! PILI offers a limited number of school-year Internships in Chicago during the spring to second and third-year law students. School-year Interns will receive $2,500 for 200 hours of work over the course of a semester. Students are encouraged to apply as soon as possible once the system is open, and applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until all positions are filled.
 
This spring, there will be 7 Internship positions in Chicago available at the following agencies:

  • Cabrini Green Legal Aid
  • CARPLS (Coordinated Advice Referral Program for Legal Services)
  • Chicago Legal Clinic
  • Lawyers Committee for Better Housing
  • LAF
  • Mexican-American Legal Defense & Education Fund (MALDEF)
  • National Immigrant Justice Center – LGBT Immigrants Rights Initiative
  • Roger Baldwin Foundation of the ACLU

To apply, interested applicants should visit www.IllinoisProBono.org. PILI administers our application process through this site and applicants must register on the site before they can submit an application.

To learn more, visit us online at www.pili.org/internships/school-year-internships or contact PILI’s Program Manager, Katie Pieper, at 312-832-5128 or kpieper@pili.org.

Judicial Resources Committee and Just the Beginning – A Pipeline Organization 2016 Summer Judicial Internship Diversity Project - Applications due January 11, 2016

The Judicial Resources Committee of the United States Judicial Conference and Just The Beginning – A Pipeline Organization® are pleased to announce the sixth annual Summer Judicial Internship Diversity Project for Summer 2016.  The Project’s goal is to provide summer judicial internships for highly-qualified minority, underrepresented, and economically disadvantaged law students.  The Project is national in scope and will place about 100 students as judicial interns in federal appellate, district, bankruptcy, magistrate and select state appellate judges’ chambers across the country.  Interns will have the opportunity to draft bench memoranda, judicial orders, and opinions on a variety of substantive matters, including motions to dismiss, motions for summary judgment, magistrate judge reports, and habeas corpus petitions.  Applicants should possess strong research and writing skills and be prepared to handle the rigors of working in judge's chambers.

Applications due Monday, January 11, 2016.

See here for more information and to apply!

American Bar Association Business Law Section Diversity Clerkship Program - Applications due January 8, 2016

Apply to be one of nine students placed in the American Bar Association Business Law Section Diversity Clerkship Program for the opportunity to gain invaluable experience, work with accomplished business court judges, and earn a stipend.

The objectives of the Diversity Clerkship are:

  • To encourage more diverse law students to apply for clerkship positions
  • To foster relationships between business court judges and diverse law students
  • To provide students with a foundation in various aspects of business law
  • To provide opportunities for students to meet a wide variety of lawyers who are active in the practice of business law and are members of the Business Law Section
  • To establish a support system for diverse students who are pursuing business court clerkship positions and a possible career in business law

Students are placed in clerkships across the country.  Applicants must be diverse first or second year students currently enrolled at an ABA-accredited law school, demonstrate financial need, and be a member of the ABA Law Student Division and Business Law Section.

The 2016 Diversity Clerkship application is due by Friday, January 8, 2016.

See here for more information and to apply!

U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois Summer 2016 Law Student Intern Program - Applications due January 11, 2016

Apply for a summer intern position with the United States Attorney’s Office (USAO) for the Northern District of Illinois.  The USAO for the Northern District of Illinois is responsible for prosecuting all federal crimes within the district.  The Office also represents the United States and its departments and agencies in civil proceedings filed in federal court and in the Seventh Circuit.  The USAO aims to provide law students with the greatest possible exposure to and participation in federal trial and appellate practice.

First, second and third year students are welcome to apply. Students participating in the summer program work 40 hours a week for 10 weeks.  The work of law student interns includes assisting in all aspects of trial preparation, legal research, writing memoranda of law, drafting pleadings and appellate briefs, assisting in preparation and taking of depositions, and assisting in pre-trial conferences and the trials of civil and criminal cases.

Applications are due Monday, January 11, 2016.

See here for more information, including application instructions!

Twin Cities Diversity in Practice 2016 1L Summer Clerkship Program - Applications due January 15, 2016

Twin Cities Diversity in Practice invites 1L law students of color to apply for its upcoming 2016 1L Summer Clerkship Program.  First-year law students will have a unique summer opportunity that combines a traditional law firm clerkship with experience working at an in-house corporate law department.

Twin Cities Diversity in Practice is a collaboration of 31 law firms and 16 corporate law departments seeking to enhance the diversity of the legal profession through its mission to attract, recruit, advance and retain attorneys of color in the Minneapolis and St. Paul community.

Students can begin applying starting December 1, 2015, and the application deadline is Friday, January 15, 2016, but students are encouraged to submit their materials before winter break. Please see the attached brochure for all details, FAQ and contact information for application submission.

See here for more information and to apply!

EPIC Internet Public Interest Opportunities Program (IPIOP) Clerkships - Applications for summer due February 5, 2016

IPIOP seeks outstanding law students interested in public interest issues related to the Internet to spend a summer or a semester at the EPIC office in Washington, D.C.  Learn about the legislative process, public interest litigation, the Freedom of Information Act, online activism, and emerging Internet issues.

The IPIOP Program gives law students the opportunity to actively participate in valuable programs in Internet law, policy, and legislation. The goal of the program is to provide opportunities for clerks to experience first-hand the new and exciting intersection between Internet law and public policy.  Washington, D.C. provides an ideal location for an introduction to Internet law and policy. IPIOP clerks attend agency proceedings, policy meetings, Congressional hearings, and visit many landmarks in the Nation's Capital.

Application deadline for Summer (typically for an internship from May through July or August) is Friday, February 5, 2016.  Applications will be evaluated as they are received.  Students are encouraged to apply early, as they will be accepting on a rolling basis.

See here for more information and to apply!

Fellowships & Scholarships

2016 1L LCLD Scholars Program

The 1L LCLD Scholars Program is designed to strengthen the legal pipeline by expanding the number of opportunities for diverse first-year law students. The program offers students the rare opportunity to spend a summer working side-by-side with attorneys from LCLD Member organizations.

Program benefits for 1L LCLD Scholars include:

  • Substantive Work Assignments: LCLD Scholars spend their summer side by side with attorneys from Fortune 500 legal departments and Am Law 350 law firms.
  • 1L LCLD Scholars Summit: LCLD invites each class of 1L LCLD Scholars to a summit, which consists of panel discussions, distinguished speakers, and networking opportunities for the Scholars. The 2016 1L LCLD Scholars Summit will be held in Chicago, Illinois, May 19-21, 2016.
  • Networking: There is a LinkedIn group dedicated to articles and discussions relevant to 1L LCLD Scholars.

The application period opens on December 1, 2015 and will remain open per the Member organization’s discretion.

See here for more information and to apply!

Vedder Price Diversity Scholarship for First-Year Law Students - Applications due December 31, 2015

Vedder Price recognizes that the strength of its commitment to diversity and inclusion is a vital component to a better work environment and the strength of the firm.  Diversity is one of Vedder Price’s core values and is integral to the way the firm is run.  In keeping with the firm’s commitment to diversity, the Vedder Price Diversity Scholarship was established in 2005.

This scholarship includes a $5,000 monetary award for law school-related expenses, as well as a guaranteed summer associate position in the firm’s Summer Associate Program after the scholarship recipient's first year of law school.

To be eligible, you must be a first-year law student who is a student of color, LGBT, a person with a disability or a person whose background or experience would otherwise contribute to the diversity of Vedder Price and the legal profession.  In accordance with the scholarship criteria, you must be enrolled in one of the following Illinois law schools: Chicago-Kent College of Law, DePaul University, The John Marshall Law School, Loyola University Chicago, Northwestern University, the University of Chicago, or University of Illinois.

Applications are accepted during the month of December only, and are due Thursday, December 31, 2015.

Find the application here!

Franczek Radelet LEADS Fellowship Program - Applications due January 9, 2016

Franczek Radelet's Legal Education for the Advancement of Diversity and Scholarship (LEADS) Fellowship Program is an exciting and creative diversity pipeline initiative.  The LEADS eight-week summer program is designed for diverse law students with an interest in pursuing a legal career in private practice representing employers in labor and employment matters. The goal of the program is to provide concentrated labor and employment legal experience while developing a pipeline of highly qualified, diverse candidates for future employment in the legal profession.

Program recipients will participate in an eight-week summer program (dates vary) with a total stipend of $15,000.

1L students must submit completed and signed applications for the 2016 Summer Program, and all required supporting documentation, by Saturday, January 9, 2016. Applications will be reviewed and applicants interviewed and selected on a rolling basis, so students are encouraged to submit applications as early as possible.

See here for more information and to apply!

Fish & Richardson 1L Diversity Fellowship Program - Applications due January 10, 2016

Fish & Richardson’s 1L Diversity Fellowship Program provides annual fellowships to diverse first-year law students throughout the country.  The Program represents a key component of the firm’s ongoing initiative to recruit, retain, and advance attorneys who will contribute to the diversity of the firm’s practice and of the legal profession.  

The 1L Diversity Fellowship Program is comprised of four components.  Each selected Fellow receives:

  • A paid summer associate position in one of Fish & Richardson’s domestic offices during the summer of 2016
  • Mentoring throughout the academic year by members of the firm
  • Participation in the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity 1L Scholars Program
  • A $10,000 scholarship – Fish & Richardson will award $5,000 to all 1L Diversity Fellowship Recipients upon completion of their 1L summer clerkship with the firm, and offer an additional $5,000 to those who receive and accept an associate offer with Fish & Richardson after the completion of a 2L summer clerkship with the firm

Candidates must be in good standing as a first-year law student at an ABA accredited law school, demonstrate a record of academic and professional achievement, contribute meaningfully to the diversity of the firm and legal community, and have a sincere interest in Fish & Richardson and its practice areas.

Applications for the 2016 1L Diversity Fellowship will be accepted from December 1, 2015 through Sunday, January 10, 2016

The application can be found here!

Donald W. Banner Diversity Scholarship for Law Students - Applications due January 11, 2016

Banner & Witcoff is proud to offer the Donald W. Banner Diversity Scholarship for law students. This scholarship is part of Banner & Witcoff’s commitment to fostering the development of intellectual property lawyers from diverse backgrounds. Law students who meet the selection criteria and have entered into a JD program at an ABA-accredited law school in the United States are eligible to apply for the scholarship. Applicants may not be a current or past employee of Banner & Witcoff, or directly related to a current employee of Banner & Witcoff.

The deadline for submitting application materials for the 2016 Donald W. Banner Diversity Scholarship for law students is Monday, January 11, 2016.  Scholarship winners will be announced in May 2016.  

See here for more information and to apply.

Harter Secrest & Emery LLP Diversity Scholarship - Applications due January 11, 2016

As part of its commitment to diversity, and in an effort to provide students with support in pursuing a law degree, the Harter Secrest & Emery LLP Diversity Scholarship was established in 2005.  The firm awards two 1L law students with (1) a $7500 scholarship to be applied to the student’s second year tuition and (2) a paid 10-week summer associate position between the student’s first and second year of law school.

To be eligible for the Diversity Scholarship, the applicant must be a full-time currently enrolled 1L law student who is in good standing at an accredited law school.  First year students who are members of populations historically underrepresented in the legal profession are encouraged to apply.  The recipient will be selected on the basis of the following criteria: (1) the individual must possess an academic record, interest and capacity that evidence great promise for a successful career during the remainder of law school and in the legal profession; and (2) the individual must contribute to the diversity of the student body at his or her law school.  Although a disclosure of financial circumstances is not required, a demonstrated need for financial assistance may be taken into consideration.

The Diversity Scholarship application must be received on or before Monday, January 11, 2016.

See here for more information and to apply!

National Lawyers Guild Haywood Burns Memorial Fellowships - Applications due January 11, 2016

The application for the National Lawyers Guild’s (NLG) Haywood Burns Memorial Fellowship for Social and Economic Justice for Summer 2016 is now available!

The Haywood Burns Fellowships are designed to encourage students to work in the NLG’s tradition of “people's lawyering."  The program exists to help students apply their talents and skills to find creative ways to use the law to advance justice.  Burns Fellowships provoke law students to question traditional notions of how one must practice law and to provide a summer experience that will enrich and challenge them.

Fellowships may be completed with any existing organization whose mission addresses the needs of underserved individuals and groups.  Applicants are encouraged to identify grassroots and non-traditional work opportunities for which there is a serious current societal need.  Five Fellowships will be awarded, and each Fellow will receive $2,000 for ten weeks of full-time work.

The deadline for applications is Monday, January 11, 2016.

Find the application here!

Latham & Watkins 1L Fellowship Program for Summer 2016 - Applications due January 11, 2016

The Latham & Watkins 1L Fellowship Program offers a unique summer employment opportunity for students to gain valuable professional experience, mentoring and training early in their careers.  Latham seeks students who are committed to promoting inclusion and diversity in the legal profession and who also possess a long-term interest in practicing law in a global law firm.

Latham will consider the following factors when selecting its 1L Fellows:
  • Academic and leadership achievements.
  • Obstacles, challenges or other factors (financial or otherwise) encountered in advancing career objectives.
  • Life experiences that have shaped values and professional goals.
  • A desire to practice at a global law firm.
  • Demonstrated commitment to promoting inclusion and diversity in the legal profession.
  • Long-term interest in practicing law in one of Latham’s U.S. offices.
One of the primary benefits of this unique program is the opportunity to gain both valuable law firm experience and a thorough understanding of an in-house legal department’s business operations.  1L Fellows will participate in the program for a total of ten weeks during the summer of 2016 (US$3,080/week).  1L Fellows will spend the first five or six weeks of the summer in one of Latham’s U.S. offices and the remaining portion of the 10-week program with one of Latham’s clients.  1L Fellows will also be invited to attend Latham’s second annual Diversity Leadership Academy in April 2016 and will be provided with other unique training and mentoring opportunities for the duration of their time in law school.  Successful participants in the program will be invited to return to the firm, for a minimum of eight weeks, the following summer.  Upon acceptance of the offer to return as a 2017 summer associate, participants will also receive a $10,000 scholarship through Latham’s 2L Diversity Scholars Program.

Applications can be accessed starting on December 1, 2015, and are due on Monday, January 11, 2016.  (Note: students that seek to apply to both the 1L Fellowship Program and Diversity Leadership Academy need only complete the 1L Fellowship Application and select to apply to both programs.)

See here for more information and to apply!

Janet D. Steiger Fellowship Project - Applications due January 15, 2016

Experience a career-making internship opportunity through the ABA Antitrust Law Janet D. Steiger Fellowship Project.  The Janet D. Steiger Fellowship Project provides law students the extraordinary opportunity to work in the consumer protection and antitrust departments of state and territorial Offices of Attorneys General throughout the United States, as well as the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection, the Georgia Governor's Office of Consumer Affairs, and the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Protection.

In order to be eligible for a Janet D. Steiger Fellowship, applicants must currently be first or second year law students at an ABA accredited law school. Each Steiger Fellow will receive a gross stipend of $6,000 for a specified 8 or 10 week period.

Applications and all accompanying materials must be received by Friday, January 15, 2016.

See here for more information and to apply!

Chicago Schweitzer Fellowship Program - Applications due February 1, 2016

The Chicago Schweitzer Fellows Program is a one-year interdisciplinary, mentored fellowship program focused on health-related community service and leadership development.

Students enrolled in graduate or professional degree-granting programs from any accredited academic institution in the geographic area may apply. While the applicant’s field of study does not have to be traditionally health-related, his/her proposed service project must focus on health and/or the social determinants of health. Past Fellows have addressed health from a wide variety of perspectives and disciplines including, but not limited to, dentistry, education, engineering, law, medicine, music, nursing, occupational therapy, pharmacy, physical therapy, public health, and social work. Applicants must be enrolled throughout the Fellowship year (May 2016-May 2017). 

Prospective Fellows should be prepared to partner with a local community agency and design a community service project that seeks to provide direct service to an under served population.  This project should focus on addressing health and/or the social determinants of health in the population served.  The project should:

  • Provide a direct service that meets a community-defined need and reflects national and local health priorities, such as Healthy People 2020. Prospective applicants should investigate and reflect on unmet local health-related needs, and think through the ways in which their own energies and talents might contribute, even in small ways, to ameliorating one or more of these problems.
  • Be of an enduring value to the community/agency served.  The project proposal should include a brief discussion about sustainability of the project at the end of the Fellowship year.

The application deadline for the 2016-17 Fellowship year is Monday, February 1, 2016.  Finalists will be interviewed in March, and the Fellows will be announced in early April.

See here for more information and to apply!

Fredrikson & Byron 1L Minority Scholarship Program - Applications due March 31, 2016

First-year law students are encouraged to apply to Fredrikson & Byron’s $15,000 Minority Scholarship program.  The scholarship program is part of Fredrikson's commitment to the promotion of diversity among incoming law professionals.  The purpose of the program is to promote the legal training of minority law school students and to encourage them to join and excel in the private practice of law within larger corporate law firms in the Upper Midwest.  Fredrikson & Byron is a 275-attorney firm based in Minneapolis.

Applicants must be a member of a minority classification as designated in the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Regulations (i.e., Native American or Alaskan Native, Asian or Pacific Islander, African-American or Black, and Hispanic).  The scholarship is awarded based on law school performance, professional references, work and other activities, writing samples and personal interviews.

The application deadline is Thursday, March 31, 2016.

See here for more information and to apply!

Job Fairs

Veterans' Legal Career Fair - April 29-30 in Washington, D.C.

The 2nd Annual Veterans’ Legal Career Fair will be held on April 29-30, 2016 in Washington, D.C. This event—the only one of its kind in the United States—provides a unique opportunity for legal employers to interview lawyers who are veterans or active-duty service members preparing for a transition out of the military.

The career fair will arrange one-on-one interviews and informational sessions for veterans (including active duty JAG Corps members and reservists) seeking positions as lawyers, including with corporate legal departments, law firms, other private sector employers and government agencies. Spouses of active-duty service members and veterans are also eligible to participate.

Last year’s inaugural event drew 150 candidates from around the world and 45 employers, including two dozen leading law firms as well as representatives of legal departments at major companies such as Microsoft, Morgan Stanley, Bank of America, American Express, PwC and Prudential.

Orrick is honored to partner with The American Legion; corporate founding sponsors Microsoft Corporation, Morgan Stanley and ALM; and private practice sponsors Shearman & Sterling and the D.C. Diverse Partners Network to create this career fair.

For additional information, please visit the website.

Diversity

2016 1L LCLD Scholars Program
(See above)

Leadership Council on Legal Diversity’s 1L Individual Mentoring Program - Registration Now Open!

The Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) is excited to offer a unique professional development opportunity to diverse 1L law students.  LCLD believes that success in law school is the first step to a successful legal career. To support the success of diverse students in law school, LCLD is launching the 2015-2016 LCLD Success in Law School Mentoring Program in over 30 cities around the country, including Chicago. Participating mentees will be paired with an experienced lawyer in Chicago, from one of LCLD’s Member organizations. Mentees will also have an opportunity to participate in the LCLD Group Mentoring Program, which includes networking events and substantive informational programming. 

LCLD has recruited lawyers from its Member organizations to provide one-on-one mentoring to qualified law students. These volunteer Mentors can help you achieve the professional goals you've set for yourself. Our Mentors not only have their experiences in law school to share, but also their experience of the profession, including networking, practice area choice, and knowledge of the legal job market.

To register for the Individual Mentoring Program, please complete the form located here. Mentee registration is NOW OPEN! While LCLD has enlisted a substantial number of volunteer Mentors, this is a "first come, first serve" opportunity, so please act quickly.

Vedder Price Diversity Scholarship for First-Year Law Students - Applications due December 31, 2015
(See above)

Judicial Intern Opportunity Program (JIOP) - Applications due January 4, 2016
(See above)

American Bar Association Business Law Section Diversity Clerkship Program - Applications due January 8, 2016
(See above)

Franczek Radelet LEADS Fellowship Program - Applications due January 9, 2016
(See above)

Fish & Richardson 1L Diversity Fellowship Program - Applications due January 10, 2016
(See above)

Donald W. Banner Diversity Scholarship for Law Students - Applications due January 11, 2016
(See above)

Harter Secrest & Emery LLP Diversity Scholarship - Applications due January 11, 2016
(See above)

Latham & Watkins 1L Fellowship Program for Summer 2016 - Applications due January 11, 2016
(See above)

Latham & Watkins 1L Diversity Leadership Academy - Applications due January 11, 2016

Latham & Watkins is excited to host a select group of 1Ls at its second annual Diversity Leadership Academy from April 1-3, 2016 in San Francisco, California.

The Diversity Leadership Academy brings together Latham lawyers from around the globe and talented law students from across the United States, with a specific focus on developing and empowering future leaders of the legal profession and creating community among Latham’s diverse lawyers, recruits and 1L guests.

This firm-sponsored training and development retreat will provide first-year law students with the information and skills needed to successfully navigate the law firm interview and hiring process, and transition from law student to practicing attorney.  Each 1L student will be partnered with a Latham mentor who will serve in this capacity during the Academy and throughout the remainder of the student’s law school career. 

Latham will consider the following factors when selecting participants.

  • Academic and leadership achievements.
  • Obstacles, challenges or other factors (financial or otherwise) encountered in advancing career objectives.
  • Life experiences that have shaped values and professional goals.
  • A desire to practice at a global law firm.
  • Demonstrated commitment to promoting inclusion and diversity in the legal profession.

Applications can be accessed starting December 1, 2015, and are due on Monday, January 11, 2016.

See here for more information and to apply!

Twin Cities Diversity in Practice 2016 1L Summer Clerkship Program - Applications due January 15, 2016
(See above)

Fredrikson & Byron 1L Minority Scholarship Program - Applications due March 31, 2016
(See above)

Judicial Resources Committee and Just the Beginning – A Pipeline Organization 2016 Summer Judicial Internship Diversity Project - Applications due January 11, 2016
(See above)

Resources

Government Honors & Internship Handbook and Public Policy Handbook: log-in now available

The Government Honors and Internship Handbook and the (separate) Public Policy Handbook are now available!  To access the handbooks, use the link, login and password, which can be found in the Document Library in Symplicity.  Note that many 3L/post-grad government honors program and 2L summer/semester internship program deadlines are very early in the semester; log in now to avoid missing an opportunity!

2015-2016 PSJD Comprehensive Fellowship Guide

The 2015-2016 PSJD Fellowship Guide is an online compilation of post-graduate fellowships.  To access the database and for information about how to effectively use the database, visit https://www.psjd.org/2015-2016_Comprehensive_Fellowship_Guide.  Note that many fellowships have very early fall semester deadlines; 3Ls that are interested in applying for post-graduate fellowships should access the Guide now!  

Equal Justice Works’ Student Debt E-Book: Take Control of Your Future: A Guide to Managing Your Student Debt

Take Control of Your Future: A Guide to Managing Your Student Debt, is now available free on the EJW website.

Take Control of Your Future is a comprehensive guide to managing student debt, with chapters on understanding student loans and loan consolidation, planning before borrowing, income-driven repayment plans and a step-by-step guide to earning Public Service Loan Forgiveness.

CSO Resources

The Chicago-Kent Career Services Office has access to hundreds of helpful career resources. A majority of these resources are available in Symplicity under the red "Resources" tab (in the "Document Library"). Some of these resources include:

  • 2014-2015 Government Honors and Internship Handbook
  • Chicago Area Law Firm List
  • 2013-2014 Guide to Internships & Fellowships in Reproductive Rights & Justice
  • Updated Vermont Guide to State Judicial Clerkships
  • BYU Intercollegiate Job Bank
  • DePaul Law School International Guide and Job Resource
  • Music Attorney Registry
  • Prosecution Handbook
  • Public Defender Handbook               
  • Public Interest Job Search Handbooks
  • Various handouts related to the job search, including “Researching Legal Employers,” “The Out of State Job Search,” “Salary Negotiations” and “Writing Samples”

And many more!

Chicago-Kent students can also access various websites like: Policy Jobs (www.policyjobs.net), Political Jobs (www.politicaljobs.net), Human Rights Jobs (www.humanrightsjobs.com) and Ethical Jobs (www.ethicaljobs.net) by using the Login details that can be obtained in the Symplicity "Document Library" (under the Resources tab).

Speak with your Career Advisor today about the various resources available through the Career Services Office!

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