Program Supports Summer Public Interest Law Work
Goodwin Procter LLP, a leading Am Law 50 and Global 50 law firm, today announced its 2015 Public Interest Fellowships for Law Students of Color program, which provides awards of $7,500 to law students of color who demonstrate outstanding academic performance, leadership skills and a commitment to community service. The fellowships are designed to help support students who plan to work in public interest law positions in the summer following their first year of law school. This year, four fellowships will be awarded. Application guidelines and forms are available online; the application deadline is March 13, 2015.
Launched in 2005, Goodwin’s fellowship program was created to advance the firm’s goal of increasing diversity in the legal profession. To date, 35 fellowships have been awarded to students from law schools including Georgetown, Harvard, Stanford, Boston College, Vanderbilt and the University of Virginia. Past recipients have worked for public interest organizations across the country, including the American Civil Liberties Union's Criminal Law Reform Project, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, Legal Advocates for Children and Youth in San Jose, Calif., and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Worcester, Mass.. Read more about the 2014 recipients.
In addition, Goodwin is partnering with client Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) for the 8th year to offer one of this year’s Fellows the MassMutual/Goodwin Procter Public Interest Fellowship for Law Students of Color. This joint fellowship awards $7,500 to a first-year law student of color to help cover expenses while he or she works in a public interest law position during the summer.
“Goodwin Procter believes that a diverse and inclusive law firm better serves its clients and the broader legal and business communities,” said David M. Hashmall, chairman of Goodwin Procter and head of the firm’s Inclusion Advisory Committee. “As part of our commitment to this effort, we are pleased to offer our Public Interest Fellowships for the 10th year in a row, and we look forward to selecting and working with this year’s Fellows.”
To apply, candidates must complete a Goodwin Procter Fellowship application and submit it, with a resume and a current law school transcript, to Goodwin Procter by March 13, 2015. Completed applications should be submitted online. Questions should be directed to Fellowships@goodwinlaw.com.
Candidates must be full-time, currently enrolled, first-year students of color pursuing a J.D. at an accredited law school. Candidates may not be the recipient of a similar scholarship award from another law firm for the summer of 2015. Students who are immediate family members of a Goodwin Procter or MassMutual employee, and/or are a Goodwin Procter client or employee of a Goodwin Procter client, are also not eligible.
About Goodwin Procter
Goodwin Procter LLP is a leading Am Law 50 and Global 50 law firm, with offices across the United States and in Europe and Asia. Excelling at complex transactional work and high-stakes litigation, the firm combines in-depth legal knowledge with practical business experience to help clients maximize opportunities and manage risk. With more than 850 lawyers, Goodwin offers innovative counsel and delivers results through a client-centric and collaborative approach. The firm focuses on matters involving financial institutions, intellectual property, private equity, real estate capital markets, securities litigation/white collar defense, and technology/life sciences. Information may be found at www.goodwinprocter.com. Follow us on Twitter @goodwinprocter.
About MassMutual’s Law Programs
Founded in 1851, Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company is a leading mutual life insurance company that is run for the benefit of its members and participating policyowners. The MassMutual/Goodwin Procter Public Interest Fellowship award is part of a broader effort by MassMutual to provide wide exposure to the practice of law to a diverse array of students as they pursue their law degrees. Included is the company’s 1L Diversity Clerkship Program which offers a dynamic paid summer Clerkship Program that provides talented, diverse, first-year law students from top national law schools with an exceptional opportunity to gain experience and exposure to the in-house practice of law across a broad range of practice areas. To learn more about MassMutual’s first year clerkship program visit www.massmutual.com.