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About the NH 1L Diversity
Internship ProgramThe legal community of New Hampshire is excited to announce the third year of the New Hampshire 1L Diversity Internship Program, an initiative for 1L law students with a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. At least four of the state’s leading law firms are each offering a ten-week, paid internship position during the summer of 2024. The firms, in collaboration with the New Hampshire Bar Association, the New Hampshire Judicial Branch, the University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law, and additional members of the New Hampshire legal community, will partner together to offer joint programming for their participating students throughout the summer, designed to provide students with an array of networking and professional development skills, and to introduce the participants to life and legal practice in the Granite State. Each of the firms will provide a meaningful law firm experience to students who have completed one year of law school and who demonstrate a commitment to improving diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts of the New Hampshire legal community.
Timeline
Applications were being accepted on a rolling basis through 11:59 p.m. EST on January 3, 2024
Interviews will be conducted (remotely) in mid to late January 2024
Offers will be made by late January 2024
2024 Program will run for ten weeks beginning in early June 2024 through Mid-August 2024
Instructions for Applicants
The 1L students who receive internship offers from one of the participating law firms for this ten-week paid internship will be working at one of the firms' offices in Concord or Manchester, New Hampshire, and as may be applicable on occasion at participating firms' offices in other locations. Students accepted through the program will have the opportunity to experience legal practice and life in New Hampshire, participate in professional development programs (e.g., mock interviews and resume strategies), and build their social and business networks within the firm and the larger legal community.1
1 Selection for participation in the NH 1L Diversity Internship Program is not a guarantee of a 2L summer associate position or post-graduate employment with any participating firm. Program participants are encouraged to apply to positions outside the participating firms during the course of the internship for 2L summer placement.
First-year law students attending an ABA accredited law school anywhere in the United States are eligible to apply. Candidates will be asked to provide a personal statement outlining their commitment to the advancement of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the legal community. Applications will also be reviewed based upon the applicant's academic record, letter of recommendation from a current professor, writing ability, analytical and interpersonal skills, and personal essay.
Each of the firms recognizes that diversity exists in many forms, and is critically important to providing excellent client service and an enriched work environment for its attorneys and staff. Each participating firm is an equal employment opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will be considered.
Applications were being accepted on a rolling basis through 11:59 p.m. EST on January 3, 2024. To access the application form, interested students can use the below link to download the application. If interested students have any issue accessing the application form, they can email the program directly at [email protected] or use the form below to request an application.
Interested students will need to submit the following materials in addition to the application: resume, current law school transcript, a list of two references (including at least one current professor), a letter of reference from their current professor reference, a writing sample of no longer than 5 pages, and a brief personal essay concerning their anticipated commitment to the advancement of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the legal community; why they believe diversity, equity, and inclusion are important in the legal profession; and/or how participation in this Program will improve their path toward legal practice in New Hampshire. Applicants should not wait for official transcripts to be available before applying; instead, applicants should supplement their applications with their official transcript when it becomes available. If transcripts are unavailable by the date applications close, applicants have a continuing obligation to supplement their materials after such date.
For further information regarding the timing of submission of a letter of recommendation, see the response to the below question regarding same.
Applications were being accepted on a rolling basis through January 3, 2024. For applicants that need additional time to secure a letter of recommendation from one of their current professors, you will be permitted to supplement your application with that letter of recommendation through January 10, 2024. If you plan to utilize this extended period, please indicate in your application submission (which must be received by 11:59 p.m. EST on January 3, 2024) that your letter of recommendation will be provided by January 10th, and confirm whether you or your professor will be submitting the letter of recommendation.
For professors that prefer to submit their letters of recommendation to the program directly, they can submit the letters by email to the program at [email protected] and should include the applicant's name in the subject line of their transmittal email. Applicants whose professors elect this option should confirm when submitting their application that their professor will submit the letter of recommendation directly.
Please note that the failure to timely supplement your application may result in the withdrawal of any interview invitation by individual participating firms.