HOUSTON BAR ASSOCIATION
Minority Opportunities in the Legal Profession Committee
2016-17
1L MINORITY SUMMER CLERKSHIP
AND
MENTORING PROGRAM
Application Information
6
2016-17
HOUSTON BAR ASSOCIATION
MINORITY OPPORTUNITIES IN THE LEGAL PROFESSION COMMITTEE
1L MINORITY SUMMER CLERKSHIP AND MENTORING PROGRAM
Dear First Year Minority Law Students:
For over 24 years, Houston law firms, corporations, and courts have supported the HBA’s Minority Opportunities in the Legal Profession Committee (“MOILP Committee”), with the goal of creating new employment and mentoring opportunities for first-year minority law students in the Houston area. This initiative is an important part of the HBA’s mission to serve the needs of the legal community through a vibrant and inclusive local bar. To reach these objectives, the HBA believes it is essential to foster the development of ethnic minority law students before they embark on their legal careers.
As you may be aware, most law firms and companies hire only second-year law students for summer clerkships. The HBA believes that there is a need to extend employment and mentoring opportunities even further, to include racial/ethnic minority first-year law students. We are pleased that many Houston area businesses, government agencies, non-profits, judges, and law firms support this important mission. Towards that goal, local legal employers and the HBA Minority Opportunities in the Legal Profession Committee are partnering to provide 1L clerkship opportunities through the 2016 HBA 1L Minority Summer Clerkship and Mentoring Program (the “Program”).
Last year, forty-nine (49) first-year law students from the three Houston area law schools were hired through the Program by forty-one (41) law firms, corporate legal departments, non-profit and governmental entities, and judges. While there is no obligation for an employer to invite a 1L clerk to return, several students were asked to return after their second year of law school. Further, several students have gone on to accept permanent positions with private employers they first met through the Program.
To be considered for this Program, you must fully comply with the Application Guidelines and submit your application through Symplicity no later than 5:00 p.m. on Monday, January 23, 2017.
Our Program goal is to facilitate the process of creating as many new employment and mentoring opportunities as possible for Houston area minority first-year law students. For further information, please contact your law school career services office.
Sincerely,
MOILP COMMITTEE CO-CHAIRS
Luisa Muskus
Rafael Boza
2016-17 HOUSTON BAR ASSOCIATION
MINORITY OPPORTUNITIES IN THE LEGAL PROFESSION (“MOILP”) COMMITTEE
1L MINORITY SUMMER CLERKSHIP AND MENTORING PROGRAM
APPLICATION GUIDELINES
Step 1: COMPLETE THE EMPLOYER PREFERENCE FORM:
1. You may select up to five (5) employers.
Step 2: PREPARE A SEPARATE APPLICATION FOR EACH EMPLOYER
In addition to the five employers selected, you must also submit a generic application addressed to the HBA MOILP Committee. Your application may be forwarded to additional employers at the discretion of the MOILP Committee.
EACH APPLICATION MUST INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:
1. COVER LETTER
2. RESUME (including, at a minimum, the following information):
● Personal Information
Current mailing address, phone number(s), email address.
● Education – Undergraduate, Graduate and Law Schools
Name of schools, degree(s) received, date(s) of graduation and GPA (Inclusion of law school GPA is mandatory).
● Work Experience
Name of employer(s), dates of employment, and position(s) held.
● Extracurricular Activities, Community Service and/or Awards Received
3. PERSONAL STATEMENT:
The personal statement may discuss the applicant’s unique individual qualifications, interests, aspirations for the study of law, or reasons for wanting to participate in the Program. Applicants are encouraged to address how their diversity or diverse experiences could provide a tangible benefit to a prospective employer. The personal statement should be no more than two (2) pages.
4. ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION SPECIFICALLY REQUESTED BY EMPLOYERS
Step 3: SUBMIT THE COMPLETED APPLICATION AND EMPLOYER PREFERENCE FORM THROUGH SYMPLICITY BY 5:00 p.m. on MONDAY, JANUARY 23, 2017. Failure to submit a complete application or to return the completed employer preference form may result in rejection of a student’s submission.
Step 4: IF SELECTED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM, STUDENTS MUST COMPLY WITH ALL REQUIREMENTS OF THE PROGRAM, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ATTENDING THE SPRING LAW CLERK BOOT CAMP (SATURDAY, APRIL 1, 2017) AND COMPLETING AN EVALUATION OF THE PROGRAM AT THE END OF THE SUMMER.
2016-17
APPLICATION CALENDAR
All student applications must be submitted to the MOILP Committee by this date. The HBA MOILP Committee will review and forward the completed application(s) to the employers selected by the students.
The employers will select the students they wish to interview. Employers will contact students directly to schedule interviews at their offices.
Friday, March 10, 2017 / Deadline for Employers to Complete Interviews
The length of clerkship, work performed, and salary, if applicable, is determined by each employer.
Friday, March 17, 2017 / Deadline for Employers to Extend Offers
Friday, March 24, 2017 / Offer Acceptance Deadline
By this date, students must inform the HBA and their law school career services office whether they have accepted an offer.
STUDENTS MAY ONLY ACCEPT ONE (1) OFFER THROUGH THE MOILP PROGRAM.
Saturday, April 1, 2017 / Spring “Boot Camp”
students who accept offers through the Program must attend this event. All other students are welcome to attend.
Summer 2016 / 1L Minority Clerkships Begin
2016-17 HOUSTON BAR ASSOCIATION
MINORITY OPPORTUNITIES IN THE LEGAL PROFESSION (“MOILP”) COMMITTEE
1L MINORITY SUMMER CLERKSHIP AND MENTORING PROGRAM
EMPLOYER PREFERENCE FORM
Student ______Law School
Select the employers with whom you wish to interview. YOU MAY SELECT NO MORE THAN SIX (6) TOTAL EMPLOYERS FROM THE LIST; THE 6TH MUST BE THE HBA MOILP COMMITTEE.
· The employers are not considered to be listed in rank order. The employers will not see this Preference Form.
· A student may accept an offer for employment with only one (1) participating employer.
LIST OF PARTICIPATING EMPLOYERS*
Select up to 6 employers by placing an “x” next to the employer’s name, with the 1st being the
HBA MOILP Committee
X / HBA MOILP Committee – REQUIRED for placement at any firmFIRMS AND CORPORATE LEGAL DEPARTMENTS
ABM
Adair Myers Graves Stevenson, PLLC
Andrews Kurth Kenyon LLP
Baker & McKenzie LLP
Bracewell LLP
The Ericksen Law Firm PLLC
Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP
Hanszen LaPorte, LLP
Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP
Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP
Texas Children’s Hospital
Vinson & Elkins LLP
GOVERNMENTAL AND NON-PROFIT ENTITIES
JUDGES
Hon. Al Bennett – U.S. District Court
Hon. Kyle Carter – 125th District Court
Hon. Kenneth M. Hoyt – U.S. District Court
Hon. Michael Landrum – 113th District Court
*Additional employers will be added weekly through Monday, January 16, 2017.
By signing this form I hereby attest that I am a member of an underrepresented racial/ethnic minority, as specified below, and further agree to comply with the requirements of the program.
Signature ______Date ______
Please select all that apply from the following list of underrepresented racial/ethnic minority groups.
___ Hispanic or Latino (a person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race)
___ Black or African American (a person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa)
___ Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander (a person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands)
___ Asian (a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam)
___ American Indian or Alaska Native (a person having origins in any of the original peoples of North America and South America (including Central America), and who maintains tribal affiliation or community attachment)
___ Middle Eastern (a person having origins in any of the original peoples from the middle eastern region such as Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Turkey)
6