Career Development Office Blog

Baker Donelson is committed to fostering an inclusive environment where the individual differences among us are understood, respected and appreciated, recognized as sources of strength of the Firm, and valued as qualities that enrich the environment in which we work. With this in mind, Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC will award three (3) scholarships to three diverse rising 2L law students this year.

Each recipient will be awarded $10,000, which will be paid prior to the student’s third year of law school (2022-2023) to help defray the cost of law school tuition and related expenses. Additionally, recipients will be awarded a salaried 2L Summer Associate position in one of our offices. The recipients’ office preferences will be taken into consideration, but final assignment will depend on the Firm’s hiring needs. The recipients may split their summers with other law firms; however, they are required to work during the same term as the other Summer Associates in that Baker Donelson office.

ELIGIBILITY. To qualify for the scholarship, the candidates must: (1) have completed their first year of a full-time JD program with an anticipated graduation date of 2023 at the time of application, (2) identify within a diverse population that historically has been underrepresented in the legal profession; and (3) attend an ABA accredited Law School. Candidates may not be the recipient of a similar scholarship award from another law firm.

SELECTION CRITERIA. Recipients will be selected based on consideration of the following: (1) demonstrated commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion in the legal profession, (2) personal and professional achievements, (3) established leadership qualities, work experience, community involvement and ability to overcome obstacles. All applications are reviewed by Baker Donelson’s Diversity Scholarship Committee. Finalists may be invited to an in-person or videoconference interview with members of the committee. All expenses are covered by the Firm. If a recipient chooses to decline the offer, an alternate will be chosen.

APPLICATION PROCESS AND DEADLINE. Applications are due by Sunday, June 13, 2021 at midnight CST. Interested students must include the documents below with their application by clicking on the “Add New Item” tab under the “My Application“. After you “save” your application, it will automatically be submitted. You may re-enter the site to make changes or upload additional documents before the deadline. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

1. Current Resume. Include law school GPA and class rank (if available)
2. Personal Statement. Please demonstrate your qualifications for our Diversity Scholarship by addressing how you have contributed to the cause of diversity; and/or how you have overcome adversity to achieve personal and academic success. Please limit to 500 words.
3. Unofficial Law School Transcript. Must include 1L Fall and Spring semester grades.
4. Legal Writing Sample. The sample may be from your legal writing course in law school (please limit to 10 pages).
5. Professional Recommendation. One written professional recommendation from a law school professor or employer. Recommendations should be addressed to Rebecca Simon, Director of Recruiting. The recommendation document name should be labeled LastName-FirstName.

For complete eligibility criteria, instructions, and to apply for the Scholarship Program please click here.