Important Deadlines for Employers
October 1: Program registration opens for Employers
October 31: Registration closes for Employers
Register for the TCDIP 1L Rotation Clerkship
- Review the website, 1L Rotation Clerkship Guidelines, and flyer for employers. An Employer Best Practices Guide from our panel in 2019 is also available for your reference.
- Determine how many TCDIP Clerks you would like to host and start contacting law firms or corporations about pairings. Email info@diversityinpractice.org for a list of Member Representatives and recruiting contacts. When contacting firms or corporations, please include both the Member Representative and recruiting professional(s) (if listed) on all communications. Remember that law firms may pair with corporations who are not members of TCDIP. Please contact info@diversityinpractice.org if you plan to partner with an organization who is not already a member of TCDIP.
- When forming pairings, be sure to discuss agreements or documents that may need to be signed (i.e. indemnity agreements, secondment agreements, etc.). You may also want to start discussing the clerkship rotation schedule that works best for each organization.
- Both the law firm and corporate member organizations should each fill out a registration form. If you cannot access google drive links, you can register by completing this .pdf and sending it to info@diversityinpractice.org. Once organizations have registered, we will reach out to the law firms for job postings.
TCDIP 1L Rotation Clerkship FAQ for Employers
How are TCDIP 1L Clerks recruited and hired?
TCDIP promotes the program to top 100 law schools nationwide, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and law schools in the Midwest to help collect a diverse pool of candidates. Law students apply directly with participating law firm Members based on instructions posted on the TCDIP website. The law firms are responsible for screening, selecting and hiring TCDIP 1L Clerks in coordination with their corporate partner.
What are the compensation guidelines for TCDIP 1L Clerks?
Law firm Members are responsible for paying a salary to the summer clerk for the entire clerkship period, including the time clerks are working with the corporate Member. TCDIP does not provide specific compensation guidelines but asks that Members pay TCDIP 1L Clerks at the same rate as other 1L students working at their organization.
How are pairings determined between law firm Members and corporate Members?
We ask that law firm Members and corporate Members communicate with each other and determine their pairings in advance of registering for the TCDIP 1L Clerkship Program. When you reach out to a partner organization to initiate a pairing, please remember to include the recruiting professionals from that organization if applicable. If your organization needs assistance in developing a pairing, or if you need a list of TCDIP Member Organizations and their Member Representatives and recruiting professionals, please contact info@diversityinpractice.org.
What is the summer schedule like for TCDIP 1L Clerks?
Members work together to customize a schedule that works best for their organizations and clerks. The goal is for Members to provide an enriching experience for TCDIP 1L Clerks to gain insights about working within a law firm and corporate legal department setting. Most TCDIP 1L Clerks work some portion of the summer in each setting, while others may have their clerks based primarily out of the law firm, with regular opportunities to visit and engage with the corporate Member. You can contact TCDIP for more ideas about how to customize a rotation.
Who is responsible for supervising and evaluating clerkship participants?
Law firm and corporate Members should make sure their clerk has a designated supervisor within each work setting. Supervisors and others should provide timely feedback and evaluation of clerks. We ask Members to provide meaningful work assignments designed to build legal skills and educate clerks on the roles and responsibilities of attorneys working within a law firm and in-house legal department setting.
How does a TCDIP 1l Rotation Clerkship fit into an existing summer program
Members are asked to integrate TCDIP 1L Clerks into their existing law student summer programs by including them in all social, professional and educational programs. There is no need to create a separate program for the TCDIP 1L Clerk, or to distinguish the student with a different title.
What programming does TCDIP provide for TCDIP 1L Clerks?
Clerks are invited to attend several TCDIP events over the course of the summer, including a kickoff welcome reception, professional development workshop and a networking brunch with our Emerging Leaders Group. In addition,TCDIP 1L Clerks will be paired with an attorney mentor from an organization different from their employer so that they may learn more about the Twin Cities legal community. TCDIP’s Executive Director, Summra M. Shariff, also serves as a resource for clerks and employers throughout the program.