Sidley Diversity and Inclusion Scholarship

Sidley Austin LLP has been one of the most prominent and progressive proponents of law firm diversity. Sidley’s mission is to attract and retain outstanding lawyers of varied backgrounds who reflect the global marketplace that Sidley serves. Through the leadership of its Diversity Committee and Committee on Retention and Promotion of Women, Sidley aspires to make sustainable progress in its journey toward becoming a more diverse organization. To further promote diversity within the legal profession and within the firm, Sidley is launching a Diversity and Inclusion Scholarship Initiative for Second Year Law Students. Sidley will grant a $15,000 Sidley Diversity and Inclusion Scholarship to a limited number of deserving second year law students who also have an offer to join Sidley’s 2011 summer program. Some information regarding the application process is summarized below.

Selection Criteria

  • Be of diverse background
  • Be a second year law student; preference to students at schools where Sidley conducts on-campus interviews (OCI)
    or participates in a resume collection
  • Have demonstrated academic achievement and leadership qualities
  • Have a demonstrated ability to contribute meaningfully to the diversity of the law school and/or legal profession
Expectations of Scholarship Recipients
Join Sidley’s 2011 Summer Associate Program following the second year of law school; Use the Sidley Diversity and Inclusion Scholarship award to defray the costs of his/her legal education; Participate in Sidley’s ongoing dialogue regarding ways to improve diversity and inclusion.
Application Timeline
The application process will open on June 14, 2010 and will remain open through the Fall 2010 recruiting season.
Sidley encourages students at those schools where it conducts OCI to apply before interview season and to sign up for an on-campus interview. Students attending other law schools are also encouraged to apply early. Awardees will be notifi ed of the decision during the course of the recruiting season. The Scholarship application is not an application for employment. Applicants must separately apply for a summer associate position.
How to Apply
Interested applicants should submit an application, including resume, official law school transcript, legal writing sample and personal statement to Jenny Connelly via email or US mail at Sidley Austin LLP, One South Dearborn, Chicago, Illinois 60603. The application can be opened or downloaded (right click and select “Save Target As…”) using the following link: Sidley Diversity and Inclusion Scholarship Application.  Optional – Letter of recommendation from a Professor (law school or undergraduate), employer or personal acquaintance, who can meaningfully comment on Applicant’s academic and intellectual strengths, demonstrated commitment to diversity, and/or ability to contribute to Sidley’s diversity efforts.
About Sidley Austin LLP

Sidley Austin LLP, with approximately 1700 lawyers in 17 offices, is one of the world’s largest full-service law firms. The firm offers its clients extensive experience in transactional, regulatory and litigation matters spanning virtually every area of substantive law. Sidley is committed to achieving greater diversity not just within the firm, but within the legal profession as a whole. For more information about Sidley, please visit www.sidley.com.

John R. Justice Student Loan Repayment Program for State and Federal Public Defenders and State Prosecutors

John R. Justice Student Loan Repayment Program (JRJ) will provide 10 million dollars in loan repayment assistance to state and federal public defenders and state prosecutors who agree to remain employed as public defenders and prosecutors for at least three years.

JRJ will be administered by Governor-designated state agencies that must register and apply by 8:00 p.m. eastern time on July 13, 2010.  Funds will be available to states based on the total population of each state with a minimum base allocation of $100,000. Please work to ensure that your governor designates a state agency in advance of the deadline.

Equal Justice Works has posted a JRJ webpage which will be updated as information becomes available and has scheduled two webinars to help prosecutors and defenders interested in the program.

Careers in Multilateral Organizations

Want to learn more about careers in multilateral organizations such as the United Nations?  Then check out this blog post by Sara Rakita for PSLawNet.

Two Free Business Law Seminars (CLE Credit Available)

The Business Law Section of the Florida Bar and the Dade County Bar Association Business Law Committee Present:

Demystifying the Securities Laws – A Practitioners Approach to Getting the Deal Done

The Business Law Section of the Florida Bar and the Dade County Bar Association Business Law Committee present “Demystifying the Securities Laws – A Practitioners Approach to Getting the Deal Done.” This event will be held on Tuesday, June 22, 2010 from 12:15 p.m. – 1:15 p.m.

The FREE 1.0 hour CLE will be presented by Alan Aronson of Akerman Senterfitt. You may attend this event either in person or by telephone conferencing.

For those attending in person, the session will be held at:

Akerman Senterfitt

One SE Third Avenue

25th Floor

Miami, Florida 33131

A call-in number will be provided one day prior to the course to those participants who cannot attend in person. Please mute your line for the duration of the call, unless you wish to speak or are asking a question.

Law students are encouraged to participate in this event.

Please RSVP (and indicate whether participating in person or telephonically) to Alan Aronson.

*Participants are welcome to bring their own lunches.

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The Business Law Section of the Florida Bar Presents a Lunch ‘n’ CLE:

How to Read a Financial Statement from an Investor’s Perspective

The Business Law Section of the Florida Bar presents a Lunch ‘n’ CLE titled “How to Read a Financial Statement from an Investor’s Perspective.” This event will be held on Wednesday, June 30, 2010 from 12:15 p.m. – 1:15 p.m.

The FREE 1.0 hour CLE will be presented by Morrie Hollander, a partner at MarcumRachlin. You may attend this event either in person or by telephone conferencing.

For those attending in person, the session will be held at:

Akerman Senterfitt

One SE Third Avenue

25th Floor

Miami, Florida 33131

A call-in number will be provided one day prior to the course to those participants who cannot attend in person. Please mute your line for the duration of the call, unless you wish to speak or are asking a question.

Law students are encouraged to participate in this event.

Please RSVP (and indicate whether participating in person or telephonically) to Alan Aronson.

National Law Students Workers’ Rights Conference

 

Save the Date!

What:             NATIONAL LAW STUDENTS WORKERS’ RIGHTS CONFERENCE

 

When:            October 15 & 16, 2010

 

Where:          National Labor College, Silver Spring, MD

 

Deadline:      August 26 if you’re asking The Peggy Browning Fund to pay for airfare.  September 30 for all others. Registration will open in July.

Brochure:     Conference brochures and registration forms will be available in July.

 

 

More Info:     Watch for more details in the coming months.

Hispanic National Bar Association Career Fair

The Hispanic National Bar Association (“HNBA”) will host its 2010 Annual Convention in Minneapolis, MN from September 8-11, 2010.  As part of the Convention, the HNBA will once again host the largest Latino career fair in the country, providing law students with an opportunity to meet, interview and network with private, government and public interest employers from across the country. The Career Fair will be on Friday, September 10, 2010, at the Hilton Minneapolis.  

The early bird registration fee is $175 and the early bird registration deadline is Saturday, July 31, 2010. The regular registration fee is $200 and the deadline is August 6, 2010. Students can attend the entire Convention or just the Career Fair; registration for the Career Fair gives law students access to all Convention activities.

Career Fair Logistics: Employers will have the opportunity to preselect 70% of interviewees and 30% will be assigned by the HNBA to make the interview experience available to all job seekers that register for the Career Fair. Every year, certain employers choose to collect materials through a resume collect, rather than participating in the interview program itself. Please continue to visit the HNBA website for more information as it becomes available.

Please read the following registration instructions closely and make sure to follow the steps in Items 1-4:

  1. Register through the Hispanic National Bar Association website: www.hnba.com/events/?regevent_action=register&event_id=6&name_of_event=2010+Career+Fair+-+Career+Seekers
  2. Register for an account on the HNBA’s Symplicity site: https://law-hnb-csm.symplicity.com/students
  3. The registrations through the HNBA website and Symplicity described in Items 1 and 2 above must be received by August 6, 2010
  4. Apply to target employers from August 9-13, 2010

To obtain more information on the Career Fair, including past employer participants and discounted hotel rates in Minneapolis, please visit www.hnba.com/2010-annual-convention. You also can contact Cristina Ortega Lopez of the Career Development Office if you have any questions.

 
 
 

Free Webinars for Students and Graduates

There are a number of free webinars available online for students and graduates starting next week.   Online registration is required.

Schedule of webinars:

1.  Thursday, June 3rd, 8:30pm EDT/ 5:30pm PDT

Health Law:  Where the Jobs Are and How to Get Them

2.  Wednesday, June 16th, 8:30pm EDT/ 5:30pm PDT

Lawyering in the U.S. Government:  Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Getting a Federal Legal Job

3.  Thursday, July 8th, 8:30pm EDT/ 5:30pm PDT

Making Legal Lemonade:  How New Law Grads Can Overcome the Experience Gap

Free Lunch for Recent UM Law Graduates Studying for the Bar

UM law graduates studying for the bar exam in Miami are welcome to join the Dean of Students office and Career Development Office for a free lunch today, Wednesday, May 26 in the Student Lounge from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

We hope you can attend!

Florida Bar International Law Section Mentoring Program

The Florida Bar International Law Section plans to announce a new mentoring program at next month’s annual Florida Bar meeting.  The Mentoring Program from the Florida Bar International Law Section matches young lawyers and law school students with experienced lawyers.  Mentors offer advice and guidance on matters ranging from insights into the area of international law to career development.

University of Miami School of Law students interested in being paired with a member of the International Law Section who has volunteered to be a mentor must complete an membership application to the International Law Section as well as a mentee application form.  Both forms are available on the CDO Student Portal under the Networking folder or by emailing the CDO.  Please note that joining the ILS does require a membership fee of $25.00

 

Federal Service Student Ambassador Program

Students working for the federal government in Washington, D.C. this summer are encouraged to apply to serve as Federal Service Student Ambassadors to the law school.

The Federal Service Student Ambassadors program is designed to increase interest in federal service on college and university campuses through developing a group of passionate student advocates who actively promote public service following their completion of a federal internship. Through planning events, networking sessions, and meetings with key faculty and staff members, ambassadors raise awareness of the incredible opportunities and benefits of federal service.

Throughout the ambassadorship, students will receive support from the Partnership for Public Service, as well as build a community of practice through regular communication with fellow ambassadors. Additionally, ambassadors will receive a competitive stipend for their service.

The application deadline is Friday, June 11, 2010.

To be eligible for the program, ambassadors must participate in an internship with a federal agency in Washington, D.C. for summer 2010. Additionally, they must be an undergraduate or graduate student enrolled in an accredited college or university for the 2010-2011 academic year. Ideal candidates possess strong interpersonal and communication skills, demonstrate a commitment to public service and are actively involved in leadership roles and/or extracurricular activities.

For more information and to apply, visit the Making the Difference website