Potential Student Participants

1. Why should I participate in the Pledge to Diversity Summer Clerkship Program?

The Pledge offers participating students a unique opportunity for rising second-year law students (and equivalent evening law students) to work in a law firm or legal department environment as a paid summer law clerk. If selected for a position, you will have the opportunity to experience law firm or legal department culture, work on challenging projects in a variety of legal fields, make long lasting professional contacts, and learn to translate your legal education to real life lawyering. Legal departments often operate similarly to law firms and have a variety of practice areas students can explore. Pledge alumnae find these experiences invaluable regardless of the type of law they ultimately practice.

2. Who qualifies for the Pledge to Diversity Summer Clerkship Program?

Students from diverse and traditionally underrepresented backgrounds in the practice of law studying who are attending University of Colorado Law School, University of Denver Sturm College of Law and University of Wyoming College of Law and who will have completed their first year of a full time program by that summer, or the equivalent progress in an evening program. Qualifying students will have a cumulative GPA of 2.85. Applicants who have a GPA of 2.20 and 2.849 may be eligible to participate in the program at the sole discretion of the Pledge. Students with “traditionally underrepresented backgrounds” include those students who are ethnic, racial, or religious minorities, have disabilities, and gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender students.

3. How do I apply to the Pledge to Diversity Summer Clerkship Program?

Each participating law school will make application materials available to students in mid-December. The required application materials include a cover sheet, resume, a confidential evaluation from your legal writing professor, a personal statement written based on the provided “Personal Statement Guidelines,” and a copy of your transcript. The Pledge application is due in mid-January. After submitting application materials, qualifying applicants will be interviewed by a panel of Pledge employers. Individual employers will then select applicants for callback interviews. Applicants selected for callback interviews will have the opportunity to interview with a minimum of three employers.

4. How much does it cost to apply to the Pledge to Diversity Summer Clerkship Program?

There are no costs or fees to apply to the Pledge to Diversity Summer Clerkship Program.

5. Where will I work if I am selected for a Pledge to Diversity summer clerkship position?

Pledge to Diversity employers include law firms and in-house legal departments of corporations and non-profit entities in the greater Denver Metro area. The Pledge membership is always growing. See the “About Us” page for a complete list of members.

6. What kind of work will I do if I am selected for a Pledge summer clerkship position?

The type of work you’ll be assigned as a Pledge law clerk depends on the type of law firm or legal department that hires you. As the program is primarily an educational one, as a law clerk you’ll likely spend a substantial amount of time doing legal research and writing. Clerks also have the opportunity to assist with and/or observe other elements of the legal practice whether at a law firm or legal department such as depositions, court hearings, trials, mediations, regulatory and administrative hearings, client meetings, transactional and real estate matters.

7. How much will I get paid if I am selected for a Pledge summer clerkship position?

The individual Pledge employers are responsible for determining their law clerk salaries.

8. Will I receive an offer to return as a 2L summer associate or a full associate?

While a Pledge employer has no obligation to provide any returning opportunities such as a 2L summer associate position or a returning position after graduation, we encourage you to explore those options, including further internship opportunities, with your matched employer. Be sure to communicate your expectations and hopes with your employer directly—we encourage you to hone that skill as you progress in your career!