US 1L Diversity Fellowship
US 1L Diversity Fellowship is now closed.
The application for our 2022 US 1L Diversity Fellowship is now closed.
We encourage you to apply in December for next year's fellowship.
As part of Cooley's ongoing commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, we are proud to offer diversity fellowships to outstanding first-year law school students. Award recipients will receive a paid 1L summer associate position and an award of up to $50,000 to assist with law school tuition.
The award will be paid in three installments:
- A $10,000 payment upon the successful completion of Cooley’s 2023 Summer Program
- A $20,000 payment if you spend at least eight weeks with the firm during the 2024 Summer Program, do not spend time at another law firm during the summer, and receive and accept an offer of full-time employment with Cooley
- If you spend less than eight weeks with the firm during your 2L summer, but not less than the required minimum of four weeks, you are eligible for a second reward payment of $10,000 if you receive and accept an offer of full time employment
- A $20,000 final payment upon joining the firm as a full-time associate, to be included in your first paycheck
Eligibility
We welcome applications from all law students who:
- Are enrolled full time in an ABA-accredited law school with an anticipated graduation date of 2025 at the time of application
- Demonstrate a commitment to promoting diversity, equity and inclusion within their local communities and/or more broadly
- Can participate in and complete Cooley's 2023 Summer Program
- Are not the immediate family member of any partner or employee of Cooley LLP
Selection criteria
We will select fellows based on consideration of:
- Demonstrated commitment to promoting DEI
- Undergraduate and law school academic performance
- Personal achievement
- Demonstrated leadership ability
- Community service
Application process
Applicants should submit one complete and accurate online application that includes:
- A personal statement that’s no more than one single-spaced page in length and demonstrates achievement of the above selection criteria
- A current résumé
- An undergraduate transcript (unofficial transcripts are acceptable)
- Graduate program transcripts (if applicable)
- A law school transcript (after the receipt of first term grades)
- In addition to the online application (the “Apply Now” link below), please click here to complete a brief 10-15 minute assessment as part of Cooley’s recruitment process. For any technical assistance with the assessment, please reach out to helpdesk@thine.co
Please note
- Due to the nature of a rolling application review process, offers decisions may be rendered prior to receipt of first-term law school grades
- Only one application may be submitted
- If you are interested in more than one office location, apply to your top choice and indicate your other interests in the open text box on the application
For 1L students in the 2022 – 2023 academic year, applications must be received by January 9, 2023. Upon receipt of first-term law school grades, please send a copy of your law school transcript to diversityfellowship@cooley.com. Selected applicants will be contacted on a rolling basis to arrange personal interviews. In the 2022 – 2023 application cycle, we anticipate interviews will be conducted virtually.
If you have any questions, please reach out to diversityfellowship@cooley.com.