Program Overview
The HCBA 1L Minority Clerkship Program first began in the fall of 2005 under the direction of the Minnesota State Bar Association. The program places first-year minority law students with Minnesota legal employers for a summer associate experience. Ultimately, the program hopes to find its participants becoming future partners and leaders in Minnesota’s larger legal employer community.
The 2015 summer was the program’s tenth year, where over 42 students applied and 12 students were placed. Hundreds of law students from underrepresented backgrounds have been served by the program since its inception.
Here Is How It Works
Each 1L law student, who provides a complete application and who self-identifies as a minority, will be interviewed by members of the HCBA Diversity and Inclusion Committee and other volunteer attorneys in early January. A limited number of students (based on the number of participating employers) will be chosen for a second round of interviews in early February. Those students chosen for the second round of interviews are guaranteed summer employment. However, they will still need to interview with all the participating employers during a day-long interview process. The employers and students will then rank their choices from first to last. The program chair will then generate a blind match of employer and students, which will determine the employment matches for the clerkship program.
What You’ll Be Doing
While the clerkship program is organized through the Diversity and Inclusion Committee of the HCBA, it is the individual employers who hire the students. As such, the students are afforded the same level of respect and professionalism as any other person hired by the organization. Each participating employer will hire one or more law students at their organization’s normal salary for a first-year summer clerk position and provide the clerk with legal work, mentoring, frequent performance feedback, and exit interviews. In addition, each employer must consider its 1L clerkship student for an offer to return to work in the future (e.g., school year clerk, 2L summer associate, post-graduation, etc.). In turn, each participating student is asked to work for the selected employer for an eight to twelve week period during the summer following their first-year of law school. During that time, they will conduct legal work including, but not limited to research, writing, analyzing, and engaging in thoughtful analysis in an effort to serve the employer and the employer’s clients.
Timeline
Dec. 11, 2015: Application deadline
Jan. 4 – Jan. 8, 2016: First-Round Interviews (bring legal writing sample to first-round interview or send in advance to dana@hcba.org)
Feb. 5, 2016: Matching Interviews (bring first semester law grades to matching interviews)
Feb. 8, 2016: Matching Preferences due
Feb. 19, 2016: Employer/Student Matches Announced
April 2016 (date TBD): 1L Summer Clerkship Orientation
How to Apply
The HCBA will begin accepting applications on Nov. 2, 2015 athttp://www.hcba.org/?page=1LApplicationForm. The deadline for applications is Dec. 11, 2015. Contact Dana Rindahl at dana@hcba.org or 612-752-6600 with questions about accessing the application.
On the application page, applicants should upload a single pdf in the “upload field” that includes the following items in order:
1) Resume
2) Personal Statement: A one page, 12-point font essay explaining what makes you a unique candidate for this program and how you think your uniqueness will affect your legal career in Minnesota.
3) Undergraduate Transcript with GPA (unofficial transcripts are acceptable)
After submitting your application, students must also select a first-round interview slot. The link to schedule your interview slot will be available on the application page. Students unable to attend in-person may participate by phone, or may contact Dana Rindahl at dana@hcba.org or 612-752-6600 with questions about alternative interview arrangements.
Contact your law school’s career services office if you have difficulty preparing your application materials or if you have any other questions.
2016 Confirmed Employers
- Arthur, Chapman, Kettering, Smetak & Pikala, P.A.
- Bowman and Brooke
- Dorsey & Whitney
- Fredrikson & Byron
- Hennepin County Public Defender’s Office
- Hennepin County Attorneys Office
- Lockridge Grindal Nauen
- Minnesota Dept. of Commerce
- Minnesota Dept. of Transportation