Originally published in Student Lawyer magazine, October 2003 (Vol. 32, No. 2). All rights reserved.

ABA's Minority Judicial Interns Get Experience With Judges

The ABA Section of Litigation last summer awarded judicial internships to 71 law students. The program introduces minority law students to the valuable experience clerkships can provide and encourages them to consider post-graduate clerk positions. The program also encourages judges to consider hiring minority clerks.

The interns worked for judges with the U.S. District Court and U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Illinois; the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois; and the U.S. District Court and U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas.

"Our commitment is to ensure that our profession reflects the population it serves, and to maximize the prospects that all law students and lawyers will receive equal opportunity," says Scott Atlas, former chair of the Litigation Section. "The judiciary is an important component of our legal system, and diversity in the judicial system is critical to public trust and confidence."

The program was established in response to a study released in February 2000, which reported that only 15 percent of all judicial clerkships were held by minorities, despite the fact that minorities make up 30 percent of the nation's population and 20 percent of the law student population. The program is one of several ABA initiatives to expand opportunities to minorities in the legal profession.

Each student received a $1,500 stipend. Members of the Litigation Section and participating judges reviewed writing samples and résumés and interviewed the candidates before making their final selections.

To apply for next summer's program, visit the Section of Litigation's web site, www.abanet.org/litigation/mjip, or contact Gail Howard, 312-988-6348, howardg@staff.abanet.org.