The M. Catherine Richardson Clerkship Program
Program Description
Bond, Schoeneck & King PLLC offers The M. Catherine Richardson Clerkship Program, open to 1L law student applicants. The purpose of The M. Catherine Richardson Clerkship Program is to provide meaningful law firm experience to aspiring law students who bring diversity to the legal profession.
The clerkship runs for ten to twelve weeks. One applicant will be selected for summer 2019, which will be for one of Bond’s Upstate New York offices (Syracuse, Albany, Buffalo, or Rochester). It is anticipated that the clerkship will require approximately 40 hours per week.
Eligibility Criteria
- The applicant must be a full-time student in good standing in his/her first year of law school at an ABA accredited law school. A law school GPA of at least 3.0 is strongly preferred. The applicant must be a member of an underrepresented group.
- The applicant must have demonstrated good academic performance.
- Immediate family or household members of Bond, Schoeneck & King PLLC members and employees are ineligible.
Application Requirements
- On or before January 25, 2019, applicants must submit the following application materials to Apply@bsk.com.
- Official first-year law school transcript (which may be only the fall semester). If applicant’s grades are not available by January 25, 2019, they may be submitted later.
- Current résumé (which must include undergraduate GPA or class standing).
- A typed personal statement of 1,000 words or less. The statement should include an explanation of all of the following: (1) your professional aspirations as a lawyer; (2) the way in which you offer diversity to the legal profession; and (3) your connection to and/or interest in practicing in Syracuse, Albany, Buffalo or Rochester.
Selection Criteria
Bond’s Diversity Committee will review applications and select the successful applicant. The Diversity Committee may or may not ask applicants to participate in an interview. In addition to academic achievement, an important factor on which selection decisions will be based is the student’s interest in practicing in Albany, Buffalo, Rochester or Syracuse. Please note that the student will be responsible for providing his/her own lodging for the duration of the 2019 clerkship.
About Bond
Bond is a firm of 250 attorneys serving private and public sector clients and individuals in a broad range of practice areas. Bond has eight offices in New York State, including New York City, and offices in Naples, Florida and Kansas City. Our high quality work product is recognized as a great value. We offer "big city" expertise at business-friendly rates, an attraction for a surprisingly varied spectrum of clients. We represent clients from across the nation in our employee benefits, intellectual property, labor, and NCAA practices. Our business, higher education, and litigation clients come to us from across the Northeast, while our other practice areas are leaders throughout their regional presences in New York and Florida.
Future Employment with Bond
The M. Catherine Richardson Clerkship Program is entirely separate and apart from Bond’s hiring process. A student selected for The M. Catherine Richardson Clerkship Program is not guaranteed future employment with Bond, Schoeneck & King PLLC, nor employment with us as a 2L summer clerk. However, one of our goals is to become acquainted with diverse law students who may be interested in applying for our 2L summer clerk program or employment with us after graduation. Therefore, we encourage clerkship applicants, whether selected for the M. Catherine Richardson Clerkship or not, to apply for our 2L summer clerk program. Please be advised that our 2L summer clerk program has a separate application process. An application for The M. Catherine Richardson Clerkship Program is not considered an application for our 2L summer clerk program or any other employment with Bond, Schoeneck & King PLLC.
