Law Firm Sponsorship

LAP views law firms as important partners in our efforts to increase diversity and transparency not just in judicial clerkships, but in all spaces legal leaders inhabit. By fostering beneficial clerkship experiences, LAP helps to shape the next generation of enthusiastic attorneys. Everyone who wants to clerk should feel empowered to pursue a judicial clerkship in a safe work environment. Applicants must be mindful about who they clerk for: they currently cannot be. LAP is transforming the legal profession for the next generation of attorneys by raising awareness of issues that have historically remained shrouded in secrecy, while also offering concrete solutions.

General Benefits of Law Firm Sponsorship

·       ●  LAP’s founding sponsors have the opportunity to get in on the ground level with innovative legal technology that is transforming the clerkship application process, legal profession, and judiciary for the next generation of attorneys.

·       ●  Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI): Historically marginalized groups disproportionately lack access to formal networks and information channels that help some of their peers obtain clerkships. As Aliza argued in Bloomberg Law, diversifying the upper echelons of the legal profession – including the judiciary – starts with improving the diversity pipeline, considering the outsized influence that a judicial clerkship, and a relationship with a judge, have on attorneys’ future career success.

·       ●  Attorney recruitment: LAP’s Clerkships Database helps law firms attract and retain better talent. Today’s law clerks are tomorrow’s law firm associates. LAP’s Database will empower more diverse students and young attorneys to pursue better clerkships and return to their firms afterward as enthusiastic associates, while also bringing with them behind-the-scenes knowledge about judicial decision-making that benefits their firms.

·       ●  Innovative legal technology: LAP’s legal technology initiative democratizes information about judges and replaces the “whisper networks” which are currently one of the only ways for prospective clerks to obtain information about judges, thereby encouraging more law students to pursue judicial clerkships with the confidence that they will be treated fairly and respectfully throughout their tenure as law clerks.

·       ●  Shaping the future face of the profession: By fostering beneficial clerkship experiences, you can help LAP to shape the next generation of enthusiastic associates, who will bring to their firms, following their clerkships, important insight into judicial decision-making and litigation strategy.

·       ●  Improving the judiciary: A better judiciary creates a better society. LAP’s advocacy work and transparency initiatives raise the bar on workplace civility in the judiciary. Judges understand this, which is why LAP has enjoyed support from many federal and state judges. Judges regularly convey that transparency benefits both judges and clerks, by helping everyone to identify positive working relationships.

For more information about sponsorship opportunities, reach out to Aliza Shatzman at Aliza.Shatzman@legalaccountabilityproject.org.

Here are some ways for individual attorneys to help:

◆    Fill out LAP’s post-clerkship survey. If you clerked for a judge, fill out LAP’s post-clerkship survey and help us democratize information about judges by sharing your clerkship experience with the next generation of aspiring clerks. Visit survey.legalaccountabilityproject.org to complete the survey.

◆      Circulate LAP’s post-clerkship survey. Encourage others in your network who clerked to fill out LAP’s post-clerkship survey as well. Every survey response helps us increase transparency in the application process.

◆   Join LAP’s mailing list. Sign up for our weekly newsletter, stay up to date, and receive exclusive content.

◆   Donate. Make a contribution and help us bring LAP’s critical work to more law students, law schools, and courthouses this year.

◆   Encourage your law school to participate in LAP’s Clerkships Database. If you believe LAP’s work would be valuable to law students at your alma mater, your administration needs to hear from you right now. Alumni demanding change will power LAP’s movement toward increased transparency, diversity, equity, and accountability.