Student Pipeline Programs

Pipeline is at the heart of ODEIB. This office was born out of our flagship program, the Thurgood Marshall Summer Law Internship Program. Since 1993, the Office for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging (ODEIB) has dedicated its

efforts to building and strengthening the pipeline.

The “pipeline” refers to the programming and opportunities created in pursuit of expanding access to the legal profession for folks from all walks of life. Learn more about our student pipeline initiatives below.

Industry expert and law school reps come together to share tips and tricks on admissions, finances, the personal statement, and much much more! This free event is open to anyone interested in pursuing a law degree. Connect with schools, enjoy lunch and a workshop, and get a complimentary headshot.

New features this year include opportunities to meet with LinkedIn reps for a profile edit and a resume review table staffed by our dedicated Diversity Pipeline Intiatives Committee.

If you are a law school, test prep company, or law school pipeline program seeking to participate, please reach out to Angie Avila-Lanciotti at aavila@nycbar.org.

Register Here

The New York City Bar Association Committee on Recruitment and Retention of Lawyers has been the proud sponsor of the City Bar’s Diversity Fellowship Program since 1991. Since then, more than 600 diverse and talented first year law students from eleven New York City area law schools have been given a rare and valuable opportunity to jump start their careers in the law by spending their 1L summer in a law firm or corporate/ government legal department. Program alumni have achieved success at all levels of the professions including as law firm partners, general counsels, assistant district attorneys, assistant attorney generals, entrepreneurs, and executive directors. Countless program alumni have begun their careers with their Fellowship employers.

The selection criteria for Program Fellows are demanding. As a result, we identify students who have proven themselves, even as 1Ls, capable of flourishing in the challenging settings that are today’s government offices, law firms and corporations. After completing a legal writing requirement, preparing a personal statement and being interviewed by a faculty-dominated screening committee at their respective schools, the candidates selected by their schools are then interviewed again by a panel of attorneys and other school representatives under the aegis of the Committee. Like the preliminary process at their schools, this interviewing panel also reviews the candidate’s undergraduate and law school transcripts, resume, personal statement and legal writing sample. Only those who pass this final hurdle are assigned to a participating employer.

We invite any legal employer who is interested in learning more about the Program to contact the Co-Chairs of the Committee, Jon English and Steve Ni at jon.english@morganlewis.com and sni@kramerlevin.com.

The C. Bainbridge Smith Scholarship is a scholarship reserved for second and third year law students from the following NYC schools:

Brooklyn Law School
Cardozo School of Law
Columbia Law School
CUNY School of Law
Fordham University School of Law
New York Law School
NYU School of Law
St. John’s University School of Law

Nominees will have spent a significant portion of their lives in New York City, demonstrate character, intelligence and promising aptitude for the law, and face a particular economic disadvantage (including lack of funds, or physical or cultural challenges).

Applicants are nominated by their schools, and a selection committee reviews and assesses the following materials:

· Academic performance

· 500-word statement of interest

· Online application form (voluntary demographic info financial need, debt and other economic or financial factors in keeping with the goal of the program)

· Signed nomination form

The selection subcommittee makes the final award decisions. Please reach out to Mary Ellen at mellenlarosa@nycbar.org with any questions.

Please note that 2024 nominations for this scholarship are now closed. Please check back in January 2025.

Since 1993, our office has paired outstanding New York City public high school students with legal employers for a transformative summer internship. Now in its 31st year of service, the Thurgood Marshall Summer Law Internship Program (TMSLIP) is still going strong but ODEIB is making it bigger and better than ever!

No capacity? No problem! We understand that not everyone has capacity to host an intern every year; there is also the option to sponsor a student. Contact Mary Ellen LaRosa at mellenlarosa@nycbar.org for more information.

Check out the Student Information Guide or Employer Information Guide to get started.

Employers: Register here

The 2024 application cycle is closed. Contact Mary Ellen LaRosa to join the listserv and be the first to know when the 2025 application launches.

The Thurgood Marshall Professional Development Series (TMPDS) is a free, virtual workshop series for middle and high school students. Brush up your resume, hone your interview skills, and take a peek behind the curtain of office culture so you are office-ready from Day 1!

The 2024 Thurgood Marshall Professional Development Series will be held virtually:

Resume Writing
April 17, 2024 | 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM

Interview Skills
April 24, 2024 | 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM

Office Culture
May 1, 2024 | 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM

Alternative Careers in the Law
July 17, 2024 | 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM

Register here

Student Pipeline Programs

Pipeline Partners

2024 LSAT Conference Sponsors

New York, NY

diversity@nycbar.org