The Application process for our 2025 1L Diversity Fellowship program is now open. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis upon completion of all four required components: the resume, personal statement, first semester law school transcripts, and Suited assessment. Students may complete initial application steps now and return to submit first semester law school transcripts once they receive them, or they may wait to complete the process until they have their transcripts. Click here to apply now.
Benesch is proud of its commitment to creating a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive legal profession and seeks to hire individuals who share that same commitment.
To foster diversity, equality, and inclusion in the legal profession, Benesch invites all 1L law students with a demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion to apply. A demonstrated commitment to enhance diversity, equality, and inclusion can include but is not limited to efforts and commitments to support members of populations that have been historically underrepresented in the legal profession, namely racial, ethnic, and gender minorities, members of the LGBTQ+ community, persons with disabilities, veterans, and allies. This is a paid position, and we have openings in the firm’s Cleveland, OH, Columbus, OH, Chicago, IL, New York, NY, and San Francisco, CA offices as fully integrated positions within our Summer Associate Program.
Required Application Materials
Candidates may apply to and be considered for only one Benesch office. Applications must include the four following components. To apply, please click here.
1. Resume
2. First semester transcripts (if you do not have your transcripts at the time of your application, please return to submit them once you receive them)
3. Personal statement (500 words or less) which includes the following elements:
- Describe your interest in Benesch;
- Describe your academic and leadership achievements;
- Using specific examples, explain how your personal, academic, and/or professional background and experiences will allow you to offer a diverse perspective to our team and the clients we serve; and
4. If your ties to the city in which you applied are not evident from your resume, please describe your interest in working long term in your selected city, and any connections to that city which might be helpful for our evaluation.Completion of the Suited candidate assessment (more information can be found here). A link with instructions to request a reasonable accommodation for the assessment can be found here.
Criteria
Candidates must be full-time first year law students or part time law students enrolled in an ABA-accredited law school, with an expected graduation date of December 2026 or May 2027. Our recruiting committee will evaluate all applicants and consider the following factors:
- Law school and undergraduate academic performance
- Leadership abilities
- Commitment to community service
- A demonstrated interest in the advancement of diversity, equity, and inclusion, whether in the community, in school, or in prior employment
- Life experiences that have shaped professional goals and values consistent with a commitment to DEI
- Strong interpersonal skills
- Commitment to client service
- An interest in working in private practice
- A desire to work in your selected city long term
- Permanent authorization to work in the United States
- Completion of the Suited candidate assessment within three days of application submission
What To Expect
Our 1L Diversity Fellowship provides an excellent opportunity to gain an understanding of how law firms work, and includes opportunities for client interaction, observing and participating in business deals, involvement in strategy and negotiation sessions, courtroom activities, and teamwork with Benesch Attorneys. Our comprehensive professional development sessions and simulated training programs, such as our mock negotiation and mock deposition training, go together with the direct work experience our fellows will receive. Fellows will also participate in the firm’s regular operations, such as department meetings and specially planned events, as well as those designed exclusively for our summer program, including our Summer Associate Retreat, Summer Foundations Professional Development Series, and practice group overviews.
Fellows will receive a variety of work, in both substantive areas of law and types of projects assigned. We review each fellow’s work on an individual basis and seek to include assignments that develop foundational skills and enable evaluators to provide critical feedback for growth. Each Fellow will have both a dedicated partner mentor and an associate buddy to provide career advice, make internal connections, and help navigate the firm.
The 1L Diversity Fellowship includes participation in the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) 1L Scholars Program, a professional development program which takes place virtually June 3-5, 2025. The fellowship experience also includes participation in diversity related programming, and exposure to our various Employer Resource Groups (ERGs) through meetings, lunches, and other special events as an opportunity to connect and build relationships with members of those groups and learn about the firm’s DEI initiatives.
Please contact Brittany Merhar, Director of Law School Recruiting, with questions at bmerhar@beneschlaw.com
