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2008 Baker Donelson Diversity Scholarship

EXPIRED: Monday, June 2, 2008.

2008 Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC Diversity Scholarship

Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell and Berkowitz, P.C. is pleased to announce the establishment of three $10,000 scholarships for diverse law students. The Baker Donelson Diversity Scholarships were established as part of the Firm's ongoing efforts to increase diversity both at their Firm and in the legal profession.

Beginning in July 2008, the Firm will offer three scholarships in the amount of $10,000 each to diverse law students who have excelled academically and who plan to contribute to the diversity objectives of Baker Donelson. Recipients will also be awarded a salaried 2L Summer Associate position in one of their offices.

Split Summers

Split summers with other law firms are permitted. However the Summer Associate is required to work during the period that the other Summer Associates in that Baker Donelson office are working.

Student's preference as to which Baker Donelson Office they work in as a Summer Associate will be taken into consideration but final assignment will be according to Baker Donelson's needs.

Scholarship Award

The Firm will offer three (3) $10,000 scholarships annually. Recipients will be awarded a salaried 2L Summer Associate position in one of our offices (excluding Washington, DC) and $10,000 which will be paid during the students' third year of law school to help defray the cost of law school tuition and related expenses.

Eligibility

To receive a Baker Donelson Diversity Scholarship, candidates must have completed their first year* of law school, meet Baker Donelson's hiring criteria; be a member of one of the racial/ethnic groups set forth by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which are identified in the Application; and attend an ABA accredited Law School. Candidates may not be the recipient of a similar scholarship award from another law firm. Joint degree candidates must have successfully completed two years of a JD program.

*The scholarships are only open to 2L students. Students must apply after the completion of their first year of law school.

Application Deadline

You must submit the following, due by Monday, June 2, 2008:

  1. a completed copy of the Application;
  2. a current resume;
  3. undergraduate and law school transcript (please end us your second semester grades upon receipt) photocopies are acceptable;
  4. a legal writing sample (10 page maximum); and
  5. a single spaced, one-page personal statement essay.

See detailed information about the scholarships in the application.

Submit to: Interested students must submit to:

Rebecca Simon, Director of Attorney Recruiting
c/o Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, P.C.
Wachovia Tower
420 20th Street North, Suite 1600
Birmingham, Alabama 35203
or
via e-mail to Rebecca Simon, Director of Attorney Recruiting at rsimon@bakerdonelson.com

Suggested Topic for the Essay

Baker Donelson is committed to fostering an inclusive environment where the individual differences among us are:

  1. Understood, respected and appreciated;
  2. recognized as sources of strength of the Firm; and
  3. valued as qualities that enrich the environment in which we work.

Tell us about challenges that you have faced in pursuit of your legal career that have helped you to understand the value of diversity and its inclusion in the legal profession. Also, tell us about the personal contributions that you would make to further the diversity objectives of Baker Donelson. Please limit your response to approximately one page single spaced.

Selection Process

All applications are reviewed by Baker Donelson's Diversity Scholarship Committee. Finalists may be invited to an in-person interview with members of the Committee, which makes the final selection of the scholarship recipients. Should a finalist be unable to attend at personal interview, alternative arrangements will be made for the interview. All expenses are covered by the Firm. Notification is made as soon as practicable after the interviews have been conducted, but will be made by Friday, July 18, 2008.