The Minority Clerkship Program

• Established in 1987

• Purpose: To provide experience and education for minority students with a secondary goal of increasing the number of minority attorneys in Columbus
  • Increase employment options as 2L
  • Integrate into Columbus legal community
• Application Process
  • Mandatory attendance at information meeting
  • Biographical information and essays
  • Interview by 2 attorneys
  • Writing assignment, blind graded by law professor
  • Top scores go to law firms
  • Only 1Ls can be placed at law firms
  • Other acceptable candidates to public sector
  • Remainder are not invited to participate in MCP
  • Grades are not used to rank students
• Logistics
  • Highest ranked students are randomly matched with law firms
  • Students have 3 days to accept offer extended by Columbus Bar – no monetary terms
• Orientation Program
  • Law firm etiquette
  • Legal research and writing
  • Professional dress
  • Mentoring by sponsoring Columbus Bar committee
• Firms Agree To:
  • Pay – same as for other 1L students at that employer
  • Provide comparable assignments
  • Provide diversity training to all summer clerks
• The Minority Clerkship Program:
  • Encourages firms not to distinguish Minority Clerkship participant from other summer associates
  • Discourages offers for following summer