DDJF 2024 1L FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
The Delaware Diversity Job Fair Committee (DDJF) of the Delaware State Bar Association (DSBA) is excited to announce its 2024 1L Fellowship. The Job Fair was founded by a consortium of Delaware law firm, corporate, and public sector/interest legal employers interested in promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in the Delaware bar by encouraging interested law students to explore summer and full-time opportunities to work in Delaware.
The employers of the DDJF are dedicated to expanding diversity and inclusion in the legal profession within the First State. We strive to make the remarkable professional opportunities afforded by the practice of law in Delaware accessible to all interested candidates. Our signature job fair has facilitated the recruiting of diverse talent into traditional 2L summer associate programs and post-graduate positions for 30 years. We recognize the imperative to keep expanding the pipeline and are happy to extend our recruiting efforts to first-year law students through the DDJF 1L Fellowship for positions in Delaware for summer 2024. The Program is not just a vehicle for finding summer employment but an opportunity to join and help build a more diverse and inclusive legal community.
All first-year students at ABA-accredited law schools with a commitment to practicing or living in Delaware and a demonstrated connection to diversity in the profession are encouraged to apply. Part- time, evening, and joint-degree students are eligible to participate in the Program if they: (i) will have completed the equivalent of at least one year of law school, but less than two years, by May 2024, and will graduate in 2026; and (ii) have no time obligations that may interfere with a full-time commitment to the summer employer.
The 1L Diversity Fellowship Committee will evaluate candidates on their: academic record; leadership; oral and written communication, research, analytical and organizational skills; sensitivity to professional and ethical concerns; maturity, judgment, and integrity; commitment to the practice of law; commitment to hard work; demonstrated interest in the type of work practiced by the employers in the Program; ability to instill confidence in others; ability to diagnose and plan solutions to problems; initiative; professionalism; relevant work experience; and extracurricular activities and interests, along with other indicia of their potential for success.
The application includes: (i) completed application form (attached); (ii) current resume; (iii) unofficial transcripts from law school, college, and post-graduate programs (if any); (iv) law school writing sample; (v) list of activities and honors, noting leadership positions (optional); (vi) brief personal statement; and (vii) other information the Committee requests or is relevant. Submit your application no later than January 29, 2024 by 11:59 PM, online at https://law-dmpd- csm.symplicity.com/students. Questions regarding the 1L Fellowship Program may be directed to the Committee at dediversityfellow@gmail.com.