Goodwin celebrates the 18^th year of their Diversity Fellowship programs and would like to share some exciting information about this year’s 1L Diversity Fellowship program.

Goodwin’s 1L Diversity Fellowship program application has officially launched on their website and will be open through February 2, 2024. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and they encourage students to apply as early as possible.

Goodwin’s 1L Diversity Fellowship Program

Our 1L Diversity Fellowship program provides first-year law students with the opportunity to be a 1L summer associate in Goodwin’s 10-week summer program, following their first year of law school. Fellows will have the opportunity to spend their first six weeks working in their preferred Goodwin office and the final four weeks of the program working at the direction of a Goodwin client. Fellows will also be invited to participate in the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity’s 1L Scholars Summit and be eligible to earn an offer to return to Goodwin for their 2L summer along with additional scholarship opportunities.

We are also happy to provide you with a personal account from former fellow Sydney Simmons, who recently spoke to us alongside Goodwin client Cerevel about how she was encouraged to develop her talents, pursue her interest in life sciences, and explore a client-side experience.

Bass, Berry & Sims and Bridgestone Americas, Inc. are excited to join together to host a 1L Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) Scholars Program this summer in Nashville, TN. This program will give a 1L student (JD Class of 2026) the opportunity to split their summer between a law firm and a corporate legal department. The selected law student will have the opportunity to participate in a mix of substantive trainings, client projects, pro bono matters, social activities and more.  

The partnership program consists of a 10-week program from May 20, 2024 until July 26, 2024. The exact dates of the split between Bass, Berry & Sims and Bridgestone Americas, Inc. will be determined prior to the start of the program.  

Bass, Berry & Sims.

At Bass, Berry & Sims, delivering exceptional work is a critical part of what makes us successful. We stand apart because we all respect the contributions that our people make to the firm. We create an inclusive environment where everyone can do complex work and give their all while being themselves, irrespective of role or background. Leaving a legacy for future generations matters to us, so we always go above and beyond to exceed expectations.We recruit and maintain a talented and diverse team of attorneys within our offices. Embracing diversity and inclusion strengthens who we are as a firm and enhances the services we can provide to our clients. We have devoted substantial recruitment efforts to attracting and developing industry-leading attorneys who will bring a wide variety of backgrounds and life experiences to our team. 

Our Summer Associate program is designed to provide law students with a realistic picture of life as an associate and to assess a candidate’s ability to contribute to our firm. Our program balances work opportunities across practice groups with mentorship and training opportunities and aims to develop our summer associates into our next class of attorneys. Summer associates have the opportunity to participate in the life of the firm, including contributions to pro bono work and engagement with our diversity and inclusion program and affinity groups. The relationships you build and the challenging opportunities you discover over the summer will continue when you begin a legal career with us. 

Bridgestone Americas, Inc. 

When you work for Bridgestone, you know that you are a valued teammate who is part of a larger mission to “Serve Society with Superior Quality.” Bridgestone believes people can only provide superior service and quality to others when they are allowed to bring their whole selves to work and know they are supported. We believe in championing all perspectives, individuals and teams because we understand the importance of seeing the world and our business through many different lenses. We are building a team as diverse as the world we serve. Bridgestone Americas and its subsidiaries develop, manufacture and market a wide range of Bridgestone, Firestone and associate brand products and services to address the needs of a broad range of customers and industries.  The Bridgestone Americas Law Department provides support for all areas of the business, including intellectual property, litigation, corporate services, marketing and advertising, regulatory/environmental, business unit support, labor and employment, mergers and acquisitions, and real estate.  An internship with Bridgestone Americas provides law students with opportunities to gain insight, training and exposure to in-house law practice to help increase their marketability and readiness for gaining full-time legal employment opportunities. Bridgestone Americas promotes a culture of diversity and inclusion through a variety of Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), which bring teammates and allies together based on shared characteristics, life experiences and interests. You can find information on our ERGs at https://www.bebridgestone.com/en_us/working-at-bridgestone/employee-resource-groups. Our most recent DE&I Annual Report can be found at https://www.bridgestoneamericas.com/en/company/foundations/our-commitments/dei.  

The Bridgestone Americas Law Department launched a diversity, equity and inclusion initiative in 2020 that complements company-wide DEI efforts. Currently, department members participate in four DEI-related committees focused on recruiting, outside counsel engagement, internship programs, and inclusion. Bridgestone Americas is a member of the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD), a National Association of Minority and Women Owned Law Firms (NAMWOLF) sponsor, and recently achieved Certification Plus for Mansfield Rule: Legal Department Edition 3.0. 

Join us.

Eligibility Criteria: Bass, Berry & Sims and Bridgestone Americas prioritize recruiting students from a wide variety of backgrounds and life experiences while also considering academic and professional achievements. The successful candidate will have enthusiasm for a team-oriented environment and a client-centric approach to their practice. 

The 1L LCLD Scholars Program is open to first-year law students that are enrolled full-time in an ABA-accredited law school and meet at least one of the below criteria: 1) First generation college graduate 2) Foreign born, or a first-generation U.S. citizen3) Graduate of a historically minority undergraduate institution 4) Economically disadvantaged5) Disabled6) Historically underrepresented 7) Other members of society that are otherwise underrepresented8) Non-traditional career path law student9) Otherwise demonstrate a meaningful commitment to advancing diversity and inclusion in their community.

Application Materials: 

To be considered for this partnership program, please submit an online application HERE. Our position will close on January 19, 2024. Your application must include the following: 1) Resume 2) Cover Letter 3) Law school transcript (must include fall 2023 grades)  4) A one-page (max) statement on how your background and/or experiences would contribute to the program’s mission of diversity and inclusion. 

If you have questions regarding the program or application process, please contact Katie McDaniel, Student Programs Manager, at katie.mcdaniel@bassberry.com.

Ballard Spahr has posted several 1L Diversity Fellowship positions in Symplicity and are looking forward to receiving your applications!

Join Ballard Spahr for a virtual information session on their diversity fellowship openings, Thursday, January 4^th from 2-3 PM ET.  Students can register to attend this information session here.

Available 1L Diversity Fellowships:

BALTIMORE | 1L Diversity Fellowship with McCormick
DENVER | 1L Diversity Fellowship with Johns Manville
MINNEAPOLIS | 1L Diversity Fellowship with Wells Fargo
PHILADELPHIA | 1L Diversity Fellowship with Corteva
PHILADELPHIA | 1L Diversity Fellowship with GSK
SALT LAKE CITY | 1L Diversity Fellowship with Lumio
WASHINGTON DC | 1L Diversity Fellowship