Recent News

April 17, 2008

Greeting Employers, Advising Students

Columbus Bar Minorities in the Law committee co-chairs Jennifer Adair and Jason Boyd welcomed employers at the annual reception April 2 and congratulated students for being chosen to participate in the Minority Clerkship Program at an orientation session on April 9.

From 1987 to 2008 employers have paid over 4.8 million dollars in clerk salaries with the private sector contributing 70% of that total and corporate and government each at 15%. Over 500 clerks of color have participated since the program’s inception.

The orientation session provided thirty-seven students with information on how to succeed as a summer law clerk and junior attorney. Jason and Jennifer are hands on committee co-chairs, actively involved in policy considerations for the long running program while enjoying interaction with the students.

As evidence of the growing success of the program, five of the eight attorneys who presented valuable information to the clerks are alumni of the MCP and all eight were attorneys of color. During the mentoring training portion at the orientation, Philip King advised students to be proactive in taking advantage of mentors in and outside of the program and to take control of directing their own careers. This is the fourth year the Minorities in the Law Committee is providing mentors for the students to supplement those provided by the summer employers.

Other committee members gave students valuable advice at the orientation. Jen Adair and Janine Jones talked with the students about how to succeed as a summer clerk in the public and private sectors. They gave students practical advice on how to handle assignments, solicit feedback, and what not to do at social functions. Hope Sharett and Anthony Sharett spoke on “Cracking the Dress Code.” The Sharetts told students that a summer clerkship is a summer-long interview and that they should dress accordingly. Anthony joked with the men about the oxymoron of a short sleeved dress shirt while Hope stressed that no matter what you saw on television or ads, a blouse is always a mandatory article of clothing for a formal business suit.

Rounding out the program were Alvin Mathews, Deborah Sanders and Annette Hudson-Clay. Alvin interspersed his ethics presentation with anecdotes from the beginning of his own law career while Annette shared information about the Managing Partners Diversity Initiative. Deborah brought everything into perspective by encouraging the students to remember the program was bigger than their personal agendas. As one of the initial class of clerks in 1987, she and her classmates understood they had an obligation “pay forward” to make the program work so others could follow, thereby honoring the legacy of minority attorneys and others who paved the way for them.

To participate in the clerkship program, first and second-year minority students from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law and Capital University Law School are scored on the basis of their writing and interview skills. First-year students with the highest combined scores are randomly assigned to participating law firms. Students matched with government agencies are in their first or second year of law school. For more information about the MCP please contact Annette Hudson-Clay at annette@cbalaw.org.

Special thanks to this year’s employers for their commitment to the Minority Clerkship Program:

Bailey & Cavalieri, Baker & Hostetler, Benesch Friedlander Coplan & Aronoff, Bricker & Eckler, Buckingham Doolittle & Burroughs, Carlile Patchen & Murphy, Chester Willcox & Saxbe, Columbus City Attorney's Office, Court of Appeals - 10th District, Crabbe Brown & James, Franklin County Common Pleas Court, Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney, Governor's Office, Hahn Loeser + Parks, Honda of America, Isaac Brant Ledman & Teetor, Jones Day, Kegler Brown Hill & Ritter, Lane Alton & Horst, Maguire & Schneider, Nationwide - Office of General Counsel, Ohio Attorney General, Ohio Secretary of State, Porter Wright Morris & Arthur, Reminger & Reminger, Roetzel & Andress, Schottenstein Zox & Dunn, Squire Sanders & Dempsey, Thompson Hine, Vorys Sater Seymour & Pease, and Wiles Boyle Burkholder & Bringardner.