First Generation Professionals Summer Law Clerk Scholarship 2022
Accepting applications through April 15, 2022
Innocence Project New Orleans (IPNO) has a summer Law Clerkship Scholarship for First Generation Professionals. First Generation Professionals (FGPs) are one of the first in their immediate families to enter the professional work force, often requiring a college education and/or other advanced graduate degree(s). They are trailblazers in their families who have often overcome an intersection of systemic barriers to achieve their dreams and goals.
IPNO believes in the importance of providing equitable access and meaningful opportunities for law students who are First Generation Professionals to explore legal careers in social justice and the criminal legal system, representing and advocating for clients and their families who cannot access effective legal representation and justice due to socio-economic, racial and other systemic barriers. IPNO’s current executive director is a FGP, who faced a diversity of personal and professional challenges to launch and build her career in a professional work environment. With this Scholarship, IPNO is not only encouraging law student FGPs to explore public interest and social justice legal careers, but also working to diversify the backgrounds and experiences of advocates working on behalf of poor and Black and Brown people who are disproportionately impacted by the criminal legal system.
The FGP Summer Law Clerkship Scholarship will be awarded to one summer law clerk in 2022. The law clerk must commit to working for IPNO for 10 consecutive weeks between May and August of 2022, and will be awarded an $8,000 scholarship.
To apply for the FGP Summer Law Clerkship Scholarship, you must be a rising 3L, and must submit the following materials:
- Cover letter (explain succinctly your interest and desire to clerk at IPNO)
- Resume
- Writing sample (1,500 words or less preferred)
- 2 references
- Transcript
- 700-word essay about why you are applying for and should be considered for the FGP Summer Law Clerkship Scholarship
* Applicants who go beyond the 700 word limit on the essay will not be considered.
* Applicants who do not submit all required materials will not be considered.
* Applicants who are applying for a public interest summer stipend from their respective law schools may also apply for the FGP Summer Law Clerkship. This scholarship can supplement other summer funding available to the student.
Name your application file Full Name_FGP_Scholarship (ie. Jane Doe_Summer Law Clerkship) and email as an attachment to Intern@ip-no.org.
Please submit applications no later than April 15, 2022.
We will contact applicants who have advanced to the interview stage of the application. Please do not call to inquire about your application status.
