The American Bar Association’s (ABA) Commission on Disability Rights is pleased to partner with Prudential Financial, Inc. (Prudential) to provide a meaningful summer internship opportunity for a highly motivated, first-year law student with a disability. The Commission will select a law student with a disability to join the 2016 summer law intern program at Prudential’s New Jersey offices. The 1L summer internship will run 10 weeks—from June 6 to August 12, 2016. Interns will be paid a stipend of approximately $10,000, which shall accrue and be paid on a weekly basis.

Internship Description
The summer internship program will provide interns the opportunity to work with attorneys who support the broad reach of Prudential’s businesses. Other features of the program include:

• Paid attendance at the 1L LCLD Scholars Summit in Dallas on May 19-21
• Participation in training programs presented by Prudential attorneys highlighting different areas of the business and the legal department
• Pairing with an attorney who will serve as a manager during the program and provide guidance on projects and other substantive work
• Pairing with a mentor who will serve as an additional advisor on resume review, interviewing, skill development, and mock interview practice
• Networking within Prudential and externally with law firms and regulatory groups
• Presentation development and delivery
• Opportunity to shadow attorneys on various projects

Applicant Requirements
Applicants must:

• Be (or become) a member of the American Bar Association.
• Be a law student with a disability.
• Be enrolled at an ABA-accredited law school and have successfully completed the first year with a minimum 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale (or equivalent).
• Be scheduled for graduation in spring 2018 (full-time students) or spring 2019 (part-time students).

The ideal applicant will have financial or business-related experience or interest. Interns not local to New Jersey will be responsible for their own housing and transportation to and from Prudential’s Newark office. 

How to Apply
Submit your cover letter, resume, list of three references, and copy of your transcript to: 

Amy Allbright at ; (T) ; (F) 
​

Please write “Prudential Internship” in the subject line of all correspondence. All materials must be received by 5:00 p.m. EST on February 12, 2016. Finalists will be selected and notified on or before March 17, 2016.
​

Prudential and its affiliates are Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employers and are committed to diversity in our workforce.

Source: americanbar.org/groups/disabilityrights/resources/lawstudents/aba_prudential_internship

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Office for Civil Rights
Civil Rights Division

2L/3L Internship Opportunity
​(Washington, D.C) 

Practice Areas: Administrative Law, Civil Rights & Liberties/Racial Justice Issues, Disability Law/Rights, and Government/Regulatory Affairs

The Civil Rights Division (CRD) in the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ​is seeking legal interns to assist with its enforcement and outreach efforts  in Washington, D.C. during the Winter 2016 and Summer 2016 terms. OCR promotes and ensures that people have equal access to and opportunity to participate in certain health care and human services programs without facing unlawful discrimination. CRD carries out this mission by enforcing Federal laws and regulations that prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, age and, in certain circumstances, sex and religion, in programs and activities that receive financial assistance from HHS. CRD also enforces Federal laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability in health care and social service programs of state and local governments.

Job Description
Interns will gain invaluable exposure to public health issues from the perspective of the Federal government. Specifically, the interns will assist CRD personnel with discrimination complaints, investigations, pre-grants, clearances, and regulatory compliance. Additionally, interns will develop an understanding of Title VI, Title IX, Section 504, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Age Act of 1975, and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act. 

Qualifications
Applicants should be second or third year law students, students in a Masters of Public Health program, or medical students who demonstrate an interest in and commitment to civil rights law. Applicants should have strong backgrounds in research, writing, and creative problem-solving. Veterans, minorities, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply. 

Salary
The positions are unpaid, but OCR will cooperate with applications for law school fellowship programs, credit programs, and any other sources of support for interns. CRD prefers full-time interns, but is willing to consider part-time interns on a case-by-case basis. 

Application Instructions
Applications will be considered on a rolling basis for the Winter 2016 and Summer 2016 terms. Please send a cover letter, resume, transcript (informal is acceptable), and writing sample (5-10 pages) to  to apply.

California Bar Foundation's 
​2016 3L Diversity Scholarship

​Are you a diverse law student committed to a career in the public interest sector? The California Bar Foundation wants to support you.

The California Bar Foundation believes every Californian deserves access to justice.  As the center of philanthropy for California’s legal community, the Foundation works every day to build a better, more inclusive profession by investing in California’s next generation of lawyers.

Since 1997, the Foundation has offered one of the few scholarship programs in the country providing bar exam-related support for law school graduates pursuing public interest careers.  Without the support of a private law firm employer, exam-related costs as well as living expenses while studying for the exam can add thousands of dollars to a law school graduate’s debt burden. Given that working in public interest is not as lucrative as the private sector, it can be even more challenging for students from disadvantaged backgrounds to pursue and sustain public interest careers.

That is why the Foundation has created the 3L Diversity Scholarship. By alleviating the costs associated with taking the California Bar Exam, the 3L Diversity Scholarship addresses a critical financial need for many aspiring diverse public interest lawyers.  Diversity includes a broad array of backgrounds and life experiences, including students from groups or with skills or attributes that are underrepresented in the legal profession, and specifically including students from socially and economically disadvantaged backgrounds.  Through the 3L Diversity Scholarship, each spring the Foundation awards BarBri Bar exam review courses (valued at more than $4,000) and cash awards to recent and soon-to-be graduates of California law schools. 

Criteria, Instructions & Conditions
The 2016 Application Deadline is Tuesday, February 16, 2016, 5pm.  Scholarship applicants will be notified of decisions in early April 2016. The 3L Diversity Scholarship is awarded in the spring of 2016. 

Criteria

1. Candidate must be:
   
   a.    Graduating or have graduated from a California law school in 2016; and
   b.    Taking the California Bar Exam in July 2016.
   c.    Qualified candidates may possess any broad array of backgrounds and life experiences, including students from groups or with skills or attributes that are underrepresented in the legal profession, especially students from socially and economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
   
   
2. Demonstrate and document commitment to public service and intent to pursue a public interest legal career in California after law school.
   
   
3. Demonstrate financial need.
   
   
4. Maintain at least a 2.5 GPA or equivalent on a 4.0 scale (or provide an explanation of extenuating circumstances if GPA is lower than 2.5) and provide the grading curve used at Candidate’s law school.
   
   
5. Candidate’s law school must certify:
   
   a.    Candidate’s actual or anticipated graduation date; and
   b.    Good ethical standing of Candidate while attending law school.
   
   
6. Submit at least one signed letter of recommendation supporting Candidate’s commitment to public service.  
   
   
7. Candidate must intend to practice law in California after graduating from law school.
   
   
8. Students attending online law schools must be California residents.
   
   
9. Previous Foundation scholarship winners are eligible for the 3L Diversity Scholarship; any prior awards received by Candidate may be taken into consideration in the selection process.

Questions: Due to the volume of applications the Foundation receives, their small staff simply cannot accept phone calls related to this scholarship. However, you are welcome to email brief, specific questions to .

​
Source: ​http://www.calbarfoundation.org/3l-diversity-scholarship.html

The Mid-Atlantic Journal on Law and Public Policy: Animal and Disability Reporter is seeking to publish its next installment during its publication cycle of December to December. As such, the Journal seeks authors and staffers for its forthcoming issue to be published in December of 2016.

ABOUT THE JOURNAL: 
The Mid-Atlantic Journal on Law and Public Policy is a Law Journal that focuses on legal and policy issues affecting the Mid-Atlantic region, specifically, Animal law and Disability issues. The Journal is a part of a larger group called the Mid-Atlantic Lyceum which holds events throughout the year and is affiliated with the Maryland State Bar Association’s Animal Law Section. In fact, the founders of the Journal and the Lyceum, Gary Norman and Josh Friedman, founded the MSBA Animal Law Symposium which is held annually in April at Westminster Hall, University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law. The Journal is run and edited by practicing attorneys and law students. It is included on Westlaw and is published online and in a hard copy annually.

PUBLISHING OPPORTUNITY FOR LAW STUDENTS​:

• Persons wanting to be involved with the Journal should provide a brief resume (in Word format) and a brief statement of interest in the body of an e-mail to , also copying Gary C. Norman ().
• As long as notes or articles have a focus on animals or a focus on disability, all the better if inter-related, the Journal is inclined to closely review the proposed piece for publication; pending it meets their standards.
• Staffers will sign a volunteerism agreement with the Lyceum, the holder of the Journal. Staffers will be asked, if they are located in the Mid-Atlantic region in Maryland or in the District of Columbia, to attend a face-to-face mixer with mentorship opportunities.
• If there are questions about this opportunity with the Journal, students may telephone Gary C. Norman, Co-Executive Editor, at .

More information, including previous editions of the Mid-Atlantic Journal, can be found on the Mid-Atlantic Journal’s website at midatlanticjournal.blogspot.com. 

​The Natural Resources and Environment Division (NRED) of the Office of the General Counsel at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is seeking unpaid law student interns for Summer 2016. NRED provides legal services to the Secretary of Agriculture, the Forest Service, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and other USDA agencies. The Division works on issues nationally, including litigation; a wide array of environmental and administrative statutes; land management planning; property; minerals; and special use permits.
 
NRED's internships provide hands-on training, in which law students work one-on-one with agency lawyers engaged in the full range of legal drafting and litigation activities. Flexible scheduling and a collaborative work environment make NRED a great place to gain practical work experience.
 
Applications preferred before January 22, 2016, and will be considered on a rolling basis. Please indicate when you are available (6-week minimum). To apply (cover letter, resume) and for further information, please contact Steve Hirsch at .

American Bar Association Business Law Section
​2016 Mendes Hershman Student Writing Contest

Enter the 30th Annual Mendes Hershman Student Writing Contest for a chance to win up to $2,500 and an all-­expenses-­paid trip to the ABA Business Law Section Spring Meeting in Montréal, QC, Canada, April 7-­9, 2016. All students enrolled in an ABA-­accredited law school are eligible to submit original papers authored during the current academic year, which cover a topical business law subject. Submissions may be prepared specifically for this contest; repurposed from a class, seminar, or as an independent study; or developed as a proposed law review/journal note, comment, or article.

CONTEST GUIDELINES
Entrant Criteria:

• Author of the paper must be a student enrolled in an ABA-accredited law school’s J.D. program at the time of submission (submissions for the 2015-2016 Mendes Hershman Student Writing Contest will be accepted starting on December 1).
• A student does not need to be a member of the Business Law Section to enter the contest.

Submission Criteria:

• Papers must be written in 2015-2016 or the current academic year.
• The paper may be specifically prepared for this contest; submitted in a class, seminar, or as an independent study; or a proposed law review/journal note, comment or article.
• Papers submitted are normally 20-30 pages long, but in any event should not exceed 100 pages of double-spaced typed text, including footnotes.
• Papers that have been submitted to or published by a student publication are acceptable for submission to the contest. The submission entry form must indicate to which publications the work has been submitted and if it has been published.

Judging:
The papers will be judged on research and analysis, choice of topic, writing style, originality, and contribution to the literature available on the topic. Depending on the topic, prior publication, and other factors, a previously unpublished first place winning essay may be considered for publication in a Section publication.​Contest Guidelines


PRIZES
The prizes for the writing contest are:

• First Place: $2,500 to the first place winner to be presented at the Business Law Section Spring.
• Second Place: $1,000 to the second place winner to be presented at the Business Law Section Spring Meeting.
• Third Place: $500 to the third place winner to be presented at the Section of Business Law Section Spring Meeting.

Each winner will receive an all-expense paid trip by the Section to attend the ABA Business Law Section Spring Meeting to collect his/her prize.

Outstanding papers may also be included in The Business Lawyer, a quarterly publication which is the premier business law journal in the country.
​

APPLICATION PROCESS
To Apply:

The Business Law Section is now accepting submissions for the 2015-2016 Writing Contest cycle. 

Please download the 2016 submission entry form here.

All entries must be received by Friday, January 15, 2016. 

Please contact Stephanie Rodriguez with any questions by email () or at 312-988-6398. 

Selection:

• All submissions will be reviewed by a selection committee after the January 15 deadline.
• All applicants will be notified of their application’s status by Spring 2016.

SUBJECT
"Business Law" is a broad category. Without attempting to define the area precisely, the subject is intended to include matters within law school curricula in courses entitled:

• Agency
• Creditor's Rights
• Bankruptcy
• Financial Institutions
• Business Law
• Employment Law
• Business Organizations
• Insurance Law
• Commercial Law
• Oil and Gas Law
• Consumer Law
• Professional Responsibility
• Contracts
• Remedies
• Corporate Finance
• Secured Transactions
• Corporate Governance
• Securities Regulations
• Corporations
• Uniform Commercial Code

Source: http://www.americanbar.org/groups/business_law/initiatives_awards/mendes_hershman.html

Second Annual Jameson Crane III Disability and the Law 
​Writing Competition

PURPOSE
The Crane Writing Competition is designed to encourage outstanding student scholarship at the intersection of law and medicine or law and the social sciences that promotes an understanding, furthers the development of legal rights and protections, and improves the lives of those with disabilities.
​
ELIGIBILITY
The Crane Writing Competition is open to currently enrolled law students (J.D., LL.M., and J.S.D.), medical students, and doctoral candidates in related fields who attend an accredited graduate program of study in the United States.

TOPIC
Submitted papers may be on any topic relating to disability law including, legal issues arising with respect to employment, government services and programs, public accommodations, education, higher education, housing, and health care.

JUDGING
Submissions will be judged anonymously by an independent panel of experts. Judging will be on the basis of the following criteria:

1. Thesis originality
2. Topic complexity
3. Research quality
4. Organization and analysis
5. Writing quality 

PRIZES

1. The winner of the competition will receive a $1,500 cash prize and the Thomas Jefferson Law Review (TJLR) will consider the paper for publication under the TJLR’s editorial standards.
2. Two second place winners will each receive a $1,000 cash prize.

Preference for these additional winners will be given to submissions from disciplines not represented by the grand prize winner. By submitting a paper to this competition, the author grants Thomas Jefferson School of Law the right to edit, as necessary, and publish that paper in the TJLR.

RULES
The written submission shall be an original work of a single author not previously published or under consideration for publication. The work must be produced in conjunction with course work toward a degree or under the supervision of a faculty member at the student’s home institution.

FORMAT
Submissions should be appropriate for law review publication. Citations should conform to the citation style most frequently used by the student’s discipline. For example, law student manuscripts should employ the current edition of The Blue Book: A Uniform System of Citation. All submissions should be in Microsoft Word, double-spaced, Times New Roman 12-point font on 8 1/2 by 11 inch paper. Footnotes should be single-spaced. One inch margins are required. Pages should be numbered. A cover page must be provided that includes: author name; contact information; school; and the academic degree currently pursued by the student. Submissions must not exceed 35 pages in length, including citations, any figures or tables, and the cover page. The paper title should appear on the first full page of text. Identifying information, including student name, should not appear on any page other than the cover page.

DEADLINES
All submissions must be submitted electronically to . All entries must be received by midnight, Pacific Standard Time, January, 15, 2016. Winning submissions will be announced by April 15, 2016.

CONTACT
Questions should be directed to Professor Susan Bisom-Rapp: 

ABOUT
Jameson Crane III hails from Columbus, Ohio, and currently resides in San Diego, California. He earned his undergraduate degrees from Gallaudet University located in Washington, D.C., where he graduated cum laude with a double major in government and history. After graduation, Jameson worked as a recruiter for Gallaudet in the university’s admissions department. In order to pursue his lifelong dream of becoming a lawyer, Jameson moved to San Diego where he earned his juris doctorate degree from Thomas Jefferson School of Law. Currently, he serves on several boards, including San Diego’s Deaf Community Services Board, and remains actively involved with various other organizations. Jameson is the founder of an independently owned private equity capital group, which owns interests in several start-up businesses. Ultimately, Jameson’s dream is to provide knowledge and resources to assist with the start-up and growth of other independently owned businesses.