2022 1L Diversity Clerkship

The HCBA 1L Diversity Clerkship Program first began in the fall of 2005. The program places first-year law students from marginalized/underrepresented backgrounds with Minnesota legal employers for a summer associate experience. Ultimately, the program hopes to find its participants becoming future partners and leaders in Minnesota’s legal community.

The 2022 summer session is the program’s 16th year, and 21 students were placed with well-respected legal employers. The program has served hundreds of law students from underrepresented backgrounds since its inception. 

Please welcome our 2022 1L Clerkship Participants:

Farah Alkurdy, Ushna Altaf, Emma Baker, Alex Barkley, Alan Tellez Berkowitz, Katherine Bogart, Jacqueline Brant, Arman Chaichi, Marina Cruz, Sierra Grandy, Alfonso Gunaratnam, Catlin Hedeman, Abdiasis Hirsi, Gemma (Yoon Jeung) Jo, Ashley Lewis, Nicholas Lewis, Yolanda (Ziyi) Li, Amelia Lizarraga, Salma Muftah, Carlos Soto-Quezada, Thomas Vettukallel

Calling all employers: The Hennepin County Bar Association seeks employers to participate in the HCBA’s 1L Minority Clerkship Program for the summer of 2023. Past and current employers have included large and mid-sized firms, government agencies, and the County Attorney, Public Defender’s office, and the Fourth District Judicial Court.

Five Reason Why You Should Participate in the 1L Minority Clerkship Program: 

1. Clerks go through a three-part interview process that is designed to offer you a highly qualified law student
2. Expand your talent pipeline by introducing diverse perspectives into your practice
3. Obtain quality assistance on legal projects for a lower cost to your clients
4. Provide professional development opportunities not only for your summer clerk, but also for your attorneys and staff who supervise the clerk
5. Invest in the legal community at large by providing opportunities for diverse students

For more information on the program, contact Erikka Ryan at eryan@mnbars.org.

Thank you to this year’s employers:

Anthony Ostlund • Bowman & Brooke • Brandt Criminal Defense • Ceiba Forte • Central Minnesota Legal Services • Chesnut Cambronne • DeWitt • Felhaber Larson • Fourth Judicial District Courts • HealthPartners • Hennepin County Attorney's Office • Hennepin County Public Defenders Office • Henson Efron • Karam Law • Life Time, Inc.• Littler Mendelson • Medica • Messerli Kramer • Minnesota Attorney General's Office • Schaefer Halleen LLC • Siegel Brill P.A.

We would also like to thank the HCBA and RCBA Diversity Committees, and the HCBA 1L Committee: HCBA Diversity Committee Chair Cresston Gackle, Adam Brown, Mary Pheng and Dee Baskin.