Each summer for the last 21 years, the ACC Chicago Diversity Summer Internship Program (the “Program”) has placed a select group of rising 2L students from Illinois law schools in internships with Chicagoland corporate legal departments. The ACC Chicago Chapter is looking for first-year law students from diverse backgrounds for an immersive summer internship experience with a Chicagoland corporate legal department.
As part of the Program, each intern will be assigned to work in the legal department of a Chicagoland company, where they will perform a variety of tasks, including legal research, memo writing, contract drafting, attending internal and external meetings, and generally experiencing what in-house attorneys do on a day-to-day basis.
The Program consists of four primary components: (1) the corporate in-house internship, (2) robust mentorship through interactive programming, (3) network building, and (4) volunteering. In addition, students will earn $12,000 to work for a minimum of ten (10) weeks during the summer.
The programming portion of the internship includes mandatory attendance at a handful of evening group events which will be attended by all interns, mentors, corporate hosts, and other in-house lawyers. Programming includes a Resume Writing and Interview Workshop, a Networking Workshop, a volunteer charity event, and other social and educational networking events. In addition, each intern will be assigned two mentors – a lawyer within their host legal department and a lawyer from the ACC Chicago Chapter.
The Program offers its interns the opportunity to meet and network with their future peers, including current in-house counsel, ACC Chicago Chapter members, and attorneys from various law firms throughout the Chicagoland area. Social outings and other substantive programs provide ample time and a unique opportunity for interns, hosts, and mentors to get to know each other. As such, mandatory attendance is required for each event.
STUDENT OPPORTUNITY
Requirements (no exceptions):
1. Currently enrolled in an Illinois law school
2. Only open to first year law students (1Ls) (expected graduation date of May 2027)
Pay: $12,000.00
Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. on January 3, 2025.
To apply students must fill out and complete an application (below).
Click here for final student informational packet.
CORPORATE HOST OPPORTUNITY
Below is the letter we distributed to members for the 2025 program.
Greetings ACC Chicago Chapter Members,
We would like to extend an invitation to your company to participate in ACC Chicago’s 2025 Diversity Law Student Summer Internship Program (the “Program”). The Program has been highly successful for 20 years and we are excited to launch our 22nd year. The success of the Program has led to increased visibility in and among the Chicago legal community and beyond. Corporate interest in the Program has never been higher. The Program began in 2003 with ACC Chicago’s commitment to develop programs and initiatives to improve the diversity of the in-house bar. The Program is open to all first-year law students (1L) enrolled in an Illinois law school. Applicants are evaluated and considered based on the following factors: DEI commitment, resilience and perspective. The Program places successful applicants in the legal department of a Chicagoland corporation.
Interns will be paid $12,000 for the summer, paid by the corporate host company. NOTE: Starting with the summer 2025 program, host companies are required to host the interns as W-2 employees of the company and to pay the interns directly. This is a change from previous years when the interns were considered 1099 independent contractors and the summer stipend was paid by the companies to ACC Chicago, and ACC Chicago paid the interns.
In selecting interns, the Program’s Committee performs a rigorous vetting process. All interested students are required to submit an application, resume, a transcript, and essay, as well as undergo an extensive interview process with members of the Program’s Committee. Because the process is rigorous and competition for these positions great, we believe the interns who are selected are the most deserving of this opportunity. We are very proud of the Program and the success it has brought to many students who would otherwise have had no opportunity to work within an in-house legal department and gain valuable hands-on experience. For more information, please see the attached Corporate Host/Mentor Packet.
If your company is interested in participating in this popular program, we ask that each interested company submit a commitment letter to ACC Chicago committing to the following:
(1) In addition to the $12,000 paid directly to the student intern selected to work for your company, pay $500 to the ACC Chicago Chapter for summer program expenses. (Note that ACC Chicago is responsible for all other Program costs);
(2) Identify and assign your intern a mentor from your legal department - an attorney within your legal department who will actively mentor and oversee the intern’s daily tasks;
(3) Provide a workspace that is readily accessible to the intern;
(4) Provide the intern with an in-person work schedule for a minimum of ten (10) weeks (hybrid is acceptable with at least 3 days per week in-person);
(5) Ensure that other attorneys from your legal department will be in the office on the days the intern is in the office;
(6) Provide the intern with tasks that will expose the intern to issues the legal department confronts day-to-day;
(7) Provide the intern with a drafting assignment that will produce a writing sample that can be used by the intern in their 2L job search;
(8) Agree to actively support the program by having at least one (1) lawyer from your department attend each of the Program events.
In addition, the letter should outline your company’s desire for an intern and its plans for utilizing the intern within its legal department. The commitment letter should also include the size of your legal department and the key practice areas therein. All interested companies should submit commitment letters or any questions to Cameron Woods, Co-Chair of the Program at the following e-mail address by Wednesday, February 5, 2025:
Cameron Woods
Senior Counsel, McDonald’s
ChicagoDiversityIntern@gmail.com
Please know that every effort will be made to accommodate all applicants. However, internship spaces are limited and ACC Chicago Chapter reserves the right to limit participation in its discretion.
Thank you very much for your continued support of ACC Chicago.
DIVERSITY SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROGRAM STUDENT ALUMNI
Alumni please be sure to join our LinkedIn alumni group. Stay connected with our network!
