Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner 2L Diversity Scholarship Program

Application Period
August 15- September 30, 2020
Deadline
September 30, 2020
Eligibility

Bringing diversity and inclusiveness into every aspect of our work and culture is one of our firm's core values. As part of our ongoing commitment to diversity and inclusion, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner is pleased to sponsor a diversity scholarship program. This program awards diversity scholarships to up to four second-year law students. Each scholarship recipient will receive a $10,000 scholarship to help defray the cost of law school tuition and related expenses during the student’s final year of law school. Half of the scholarship will be paid after successful completion of our Summer Associate Program. The second half of the scholarship will be paid prior to the second semester of the recipient’s third year of law school, providing they have received and accepted an offer to join our firm as an associate following the completion of their legal education.

Eligibility

A scholarship candidate must:

  • Be a full-time law student, in good standing, entering the second year of law school at an accredited ABA law school
  • Have a demonstrated commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion
  • Have received and accepted an offer for a summer associate position after the second year of law school in one of our U.S. offices
  • Not be the recipient of a similar diversity award from another law firm for the same time period

Selection Criteria

A selection committee will consider the following factors in determining the award(s):

  • Strong undergraduate and law school academic and leadership achievements
  • Excellent legal writing skills
  • Demonstrated commitment to promoting diversity in the legal profession and community
  • Community service involvement
  • Long-term interest in practicing law in one of our offices

Required Application Materials

  • Completed application form
  • Resume
  • Transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate programs attended, including the first year of law school
  • Persuasive legal writing sample (10 double-spaced pages or less and must be the exclusive work of the applicant)
  • Personal statement (750 words or less) describing the applicant’s background, including successes and strengths, how any obstacles have been overcome, and how the applicant will contribute to advancing our firm's diversity initiatives
  • Contact information for three professional or academic references

Application Process

To be eligible to apply for the fall 2020 diversity scholarship program, candidates must have received and accepted an offer for a 2L summer associate position in one of our U.S. offices. We encourage all interested candidates graduating in the spring of 2022 to apply for our 2021 summer program by completing the online application process  here. We will be accepting applications for our summer program between May through August 2o2o. The diversity scholarship application process will run from August 15 through September 30, 2020 for those candidates who have accepted an offer.

Award
A $10,000 scholarship to help defray the cost of law school tuition and related expenses during the student’s final year of law school.