Eligibility Criteria
- Good standing as a second-year law student at an ABA accredited law school.
- Demonstrated record of academic achievement, excellent writing and interpersonal skills, and experience that will contribute to a successful career in the legal field.
- A history of meaningfully contributions to the diversity efforts of their law school student body and a desire to continue their support of diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts upon entering the legal profession.
- Membership in a historically underrepresented group in the legal profession, including students of color, students who identify as LGBTQ+, and students with disabilities.
Submission Guidelines
Students applying directly to the firm (not through an on-campus interview program) should apply through our website and include a personal statement with their application to be considered for the fellowship. Separately, students who participate in our on-campus interview program and are selected for a callback interview will be asked to submit a personal statement at that time. Personal statements should be a one-page, single-spaced narrative about the student's unique personal history and their commitment to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion within their community and the legal profession.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Which office should I apply to?
Perkins Coie’s 2L Fellowship program is designed to recruit top-notch law students who may eventually begin full-time employment with the firm. To that end, you should only apply to the office in the city where you genuinely want to live and start your practice as an entry-level lawyer.
- What does the firm consider “diverse”? Am I “diverse”?
Our definition of diversity is broad and encompasses students of color, students who identify as LGBTQ+, and students with disabilities. If you feel that you are diverse in one or more of these ways, please apply and share your unique story with us.
- How important are law school grades?
As with any competitive process, undergraduate, graduate (if applicable), and law school grades are important evaluative factors. However, other factors, including a quality personal statement, relevant previous professional experience, and ties to the location for which you are applying, are also weighed.
- My law school grades won’t be released by the application deadline. Can I still apply? What should I do?
This is a common occurrence. You can and should still apply. Please submit all other application materials by the application deadline and then follow up by providing your law school grades as soon as they become available.
- How important is the personal statement to my application for the 2L Diversity Fellowship?
A quality personal statement is essential to your application. An effective statement provides us with a sense of who you are, both as a candidate and as an individual. Your personal statement should be a narrative about your unique personal history and commitment to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion within the community and legal profession.
