FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
Torrence Phillips – NBA-CLS Chair
trp@lgplaw.com
The NBA-CLS Black Lawyers Matter Internship Program Returns for Third Year
The NBA-CLS is now accepting applications for the inclusive internship program.
April 22, 2022 —The National Bar Association – Commercial Law Section (NBA-CLS) announces the third installment of its Black Lawyers Matter (BLM) Internship Program, designed to positively impact diversity in the legal profession. The program provides guidance and creates new opportunities for Black law students facing the challenge of securing quality employment.
This year, the BLM Internship Program will partner with diversity champion NBCUniversal, who is taking meaningful steps towards promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion. NBCUniversal will be placing students interested in entertainment, media and/or news but the NBA-CLS will also accept resumes of other students that may be interested in private practice or working for a non-profit organization.
According to the National Association for Law Placement (NALP) 2021 Diversity Report, racial minorities remain underrepresented in the leadership of legal services organizations. People of color made up about 28% of associates but accounted for less than 9% of equity partners. Black attorneys surpassed 2.2% of partners for the first time since NALP began collecting data, but the representation of Black lawyers in law firms still trails that of Asian and Latinx lawyers, and those gaps have widened over time. In addition, women made up just 25.92% of all partners in 2021, and Black women and Latinx women each continued to represent less than 1% of all partners in U.S. law firms.
The BLM Internship Program aims to change those statistics by creating opportunities for underrepresented and aspiring attorneys. During the internship, interns will gain practical experience in an in-house counsel or law firm environment, legal training, mentoring, and enhanced employment opportunities.
In addition, the NBA-CLS and NBCUniversal together will provide a $10,000 scholarship to each intern placed at NBCUniversal. NBCUniversal invites 1L and 2L students with a demonstrable interest, or prior experience, in entertainment, news and/or media to apply for the 10-week summer internship. NBCUniversal will make all final applicant selections and arrange the internships directly with the selected students. Matching by any other organizations will be limited and employment opportunities and any scholarship or stipends will be managed by the participating organizations.
If you are a law student interested in the BLM Program, please submit your resume and cover letter to info@nbacls.com or apply here no later than Friday, May 6th, 2022 at 11:59PM EST. Submitting your resume is not a guarantee of an interview or future employment.
About NBA-CLS
The mission of the NBA-CLS is to bring outside counsel members together with in-house counsel who seek to increase diversity and provide networking and education forums for NBA-CLS members. The NBA-CLS is also committed to serving the community and expanding the pipeline of African Americans entering the legal profession. For more information visit www.nbacls.com.
About NBCUniversal
NBCUniversal is one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news and information to a global audience. NBCUniversal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment television networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, world-renowned theme parks, and a premium ad-supported streaming service. Learn more at nbcuniversal.com.
###