WOLVERINE BAR ASSOCIATION SUMMER CLERKSHIP PROGRAM GUIDELINES

MISSION STATEMENT

The Wolverine Bar Association Summer Clerkship Program strives to increase the number of minority attorneys employed as partners, associates, in-house counsel, and in other well-respected positions within the legal community. To achieve this goal, the Program places first-year minority law students in clerkship positions that will provide opportunities to establish a network of contacts, develop practice skills, and acquire
other intangible benefits gained from the experience of working in a challenging professional environment, all of which are critical to the launch of a successful legal career. The Program also provides participating employers an additional mechanism to accomplish their individual diversity goals and express their commitment to and underscore the importance of diversity in the legal community.

ELIGIBILITY

First-year minority law students are eligible for the Program if all of the following apply:
(i) the student is in good standing at his or her law school;
(ii) the student has ties to southeastern Michigan and a desire to practice in metropolitan Detroit after completing law school;
(iii) the student will have completed a legal writing course before the clerkship begins;
(iv) by the time the clerkship starts, the student will have completed no more than 15 courses toward graduation; and
(v) the student expects to graduate after completing two more years of school.

A student who has completed more than 15 courses toward graduation, who expects to graduate more than 2 years from the time the clerkship begins, or who will not have completed legal writing before the clerkship begins is not eligible for the Program.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

The following materials must be received in a single .pdf or .tiff format by the Wolverine Bar Association Summer Clerkship Program Committee c/o Erika Butler-Akinyemi at eakinyemi@sbcglobal.net, no later than 11:59 p.m. on February 1, 2008:

· A cover letter not exceeding one-page in length, single-spaced, and explaining (i) the student’s career goals and how he or she believes participating in the Program will further those objectives; (ii) the student’s commitment to practicing law in Michigan and connection to the Detroit area, and (iii) the student’s commitment to service through the WBA.
· A current resume.
· An unofficial copy of the student’s law school transcript. If grades are not available at the time of application, students must provide a letter from the law school registrar which indicates that the student’s grades are not available. Students who are selected to interview with the Program’s Committee must provide an official copy of his or her transcript at the interview.
· A writing sample not exceeding five pages in length, double-spaced, in the form of a legal memorandum or brief showing the applicant’s ability to identify and analyze legal issues. The writing sample may be an excerpt from a larger project, if clearly identified as such.
· Two letters of recommendation from current or former employers, professors, or someone familiar with the applicant’s work. The person making the recommendation may forward his or her letter directly to the Wolverine Bar Association Summer Clerkship Program Committee, c/o Erika Butler-Akinyemi at
eakinyemi@sbcglobal.net. All recommendation letters must be received no later than 11:59 p.m. on February 1, 2008, and must be in .pdf or .tiff format.

SELECTION PROCESS

Due to the volume of applications received, the Committee will complete an initial evaluation of each candidate based upon the application package and the criteria listed below. Based upon this evaluation, the Committee will select approximately twenty four (24) applicants to participate in the interview process.

Candidates selected to interview with the Committee will be notified by February 11, 2008.

Interviews will be held on March 1, 2008 at the Southfield offices of Jaffe, Raitt, Heuer & Weiss, P.C.

Applicants will be scheduled for three 15-minute interviews. Each student should plan on being available for 30 minutes before and after the scheduled interviews.

Although the Committee does consider a student’s class ranking and grade point average, other factors, including the applicant’s work history, undergraduate record, extracurricular activities, and oral and written communication skills, are also reviewed. After completion of all interviews, the Committee will select students for placement with the participating employers.

PARTICIPATING EMPLOYERS

Participating employers accept the candidate selected for placement by the Committee. It is expected that participants will be given the same type of work assignments and be paid the same salary as other clerks or summer associates at the firm or company. Students are informed that they will be treated and evaluated in accordance with the standards and guidelines established by the participating employer and are not to be accorded any special treatment. Although not required, employers are encouraged to consider the applicants for employment as a summer associate the following year if warranted by the student’s performance and the employer’s hiring needs. The Summer Clerkship Committee recognizes and appreciates the expense incurred by participating employers and asks that employers provide input regarding the candidate’s performance and employer’s interaction with the Program.

In 2007, the participating employers included: Bodman LLP; Butzel Long PC; Comerica Incorporated; Dickinson Wright PLLC; Dykema Gossett PLLC; Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn LLP; Jaffe, Raitt, Heuer & Weiss, PC; Miller Canfield Paddock & Stone, PLC; Pepper Hamilton LLP; and Plunkett
& Cooney, PC.

Inquiries may be directed via email to Erika Butler-Akinyemi at eakinyemi@sbcglobal.net.