1L Diversity Job Opportunities List
Leadership Council of Legal Diversity (LCLD) 1L Scholars Program
The Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) is dedicated to “creating a truly diverse U.S. legal profession. LCLD has many programs in place to achieve its mission. One of its very successful programs is the 1L LCLD Scholars Program. It offers 1L students a chance to spend a summer working alongside attorneys from LCLD Member organizations. This program is very extensive. 176 LCLD Member law firms and corporations participated in the 2021 program, collectively offering more than 600 opportunities. Opportunities for 2022 are currently being added by LCLD Members
The application period opened on December 1, 2021 and will remain open per the Member organization’s discretion. Opportunities will be available with both law firms and in-house legal departments.
More information here.
To find the list of LCLD Members actively searching for 1L scholars, go to
LCLD Member Organizations A-J | Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (lcldnet.org)
There are opportunities all over the country. However, the postings for many of the 1L LCLD opportunities located specifically in the Chicago area have been placed in the CSO Simplicity system. For searching purposes, they are tagged as Diversity Opportunity, Summer Associate and Summer Law Clerk.
Note the Application Deadlines for Participating LCLD Employers that interest you. Deadlines vary by employer.
Skadden 1L Scholars Program
Recruiting season is underway for Skadden’s 2022 Skadden 1L Scholars Program. All of the firm’s U.S. offices (Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Palo Alto, Washington, D.C. and Wilmington) will once again participate in the program. The application process is open and students interested can apply here. The application will consist of submitting a resume, undergrad transcript, law school transcript, and an essay response.
Application Deadline - Monday, January 3, 2022
ABA Judicial Intern Opportunity Program (JIOP)
The mission of JIOP is to provide judicial internships to first- and second-year law students who are members of racial and ethnic groups traditionally underrepresented in the profession. The program also provides opportunities to students with disabilities, women, students who are economically disadvantaged, and students who identify as LGBTQ+.
Internships are available in several locations in California, Illinois and Texas. In addition, we offer internships in the following metropolitan areas: Phoenix, AZ; Washington, D.C.; Miami, FL; New York, NY; Philadelphia, PA; Salt Lake City, UT and Seattle, WA. Students may indicate geographic preferences on their applications but may not request specific judges or courts.
Interns are required to work full-time (32 hours/week) for a minimum of six weeks and will receive an award of $2,000.
Internships for students with a focus on intellectual property law will be offered in Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Texas, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. These specialized spots are limited, and any student applying with a request for specialization will also be considered for general litigation internships
Application Deadline – Friday, January 7, 2022
ACC Chicago-Diversity 1L Summer Internship Program
This program places 1L law students with diverse backgrounds from Illinois law schools in internships with corporate legal departments. The Program consists of four main components: (1) the corporate in-house internship, (2) robust mentorship through interactive programming, (3) network building, and (4) volunteering. In addition, students are provided a $10,000 stipend to work for a minimum of ten (10) weeks during the summer. For more information and to apply go to Diversity Summer Internship Program | Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC)
Application Deadline - Friday, January 7, 2022
JRC-JTB Summer Judicial Internship Diversity Project
The Judicial Resources Committee of the United States Judicial Conference and Just the Beginning – A Pipeline Organization is pleased to announce the annual Summer Judicial Internship Diversity Project (“SJID Project”). The SJID Project’s goal is to provide highly qualified law students from socioeconomic, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds underrepresented in the legal profession with summer judicial internships in the chambers of federal and state appellate judges, federal district judges, and federal bankruptcy and magistrate judges. The SJID Project is national in scope and seeks to place approximately 100 law students as judicial interns across the country. For more information, go to Summer Judicial Internship Diversity Project - JTB
Application Deadline – Sunday, January 9, 2022
New Hampshire 1L Summer Associate Diversity Program
The legal community of New Hampshire is excited to announce a new initiative for 1L law students with a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Five of the state’s leading law firms are each offering a ten-week, paid Summer Associate position during summer 2022. The firms, in collaboration with the University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law, will partner together to offer joint programming for their participating students throughout the summer, designed to introduce the participants to life in the Granite State. Each of the firms will provide a meaningful law firm experience to students who have completed one year of law school and who will contribute to the diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts of the firms and the New Hampshire legal community.
What Law Firms Are Participating? The law firms of McLane Middleton, Nixon Peabody, Orr & Reno, Sheehan Phinney, and Sulloway & Hollis will each be participating in this inaugural year of the program. For more information, go to NH 1L Summer Associate Diversity Program (nhdiversity1lprogram.com)
Application Deadline – Friday, January 14, 2022
Move the Needle Fund (MTN) 2022 Diversity Pipeline Collective
The Move the Needle Fund 1L Diversity Pipeline Collective is a joint effort between legal departments and law firms to provide first-year law students from historically underrepresented backgrounds with split-summer internships that offer exposure to career-enhancing work experiences and influential professional networks. Specifically, selected 1L students will have an opportunity to work for top legal departments and law firms to gain professional and legal skills from both practice perspectives. Many amazing legal departments and law firms are participating! For more information and to apply, go to 2022 1L Diversity Pipeline Collective Summer Program Application Form Survey (surveymonkey.com)
Application Deadline - Monday, January 17, 2022
Twin Cities Diversity in Practice 1L 2022 Summer Clerkship
For over a decade, the TCDIP 1L Clerkship has helped launch the careers of law students of color in the Twin Cities. We strengthen the legal talent pipeline with strategic partnerships
between TCDIP Members from law firms and corporate legal departments.
For more information, go to TCDIP 1L Clerkship – TCDIP | Twin Cities Diversity In Practice
Applications accepted on a rolling bases so apply ASAP.