Making appellate work accessible for all
Many law students of color, particularly those who are first-generation, lack the networks and resources of their law school peers. As a result, these students may miss out on an appellate career simply because they do not know how to pursue it. Others self-select out, discouraged by the absence of appellate attorneys and judges who share their backgrounds.
Our goal is to change that.
Our Mentorship Program is the first national effort focused on empowering law students of color to pursue appellate work. We pair law students of color interested in appellate practice with two mentors in the appellate field, ranging from attorneys, judges, professors, and law clerks. We tailor these pairings as closely as we can to each students’ unique preferences.
We also provide students with innovative and impactful appellate-focused resources throughout the Program. In the past, these have included:
Clerkship Support
Clerkships are a critical stepping stone to appellate work, but too many law students of color lack the networks and encouragement needed to navigate this process.
Our clerkship resources have included dozens of judicial brown bags with diverse state and federal judges from around the country, office hours with current and recent law clerks, in-person visits to law clerks in chambers, individualized support on clerkship application materials, and sharing clerkship and judicial internship opportunities.
Networking Opportunities
Who you know matters. Appellate recruitment has traditionally focused on a handful of students (many of whom already have established networks) at a few select schools, leaving out many qualified first-generation law students of color.
Our networking events with the appellate bar, in-person visits to appellate courts, and directory of TAP members helped our students grow their networks, connect with decision makers in the appellate bar, and learn about the different pathways to appellate practice.
Skill-building Workshops
Appellate advocates must have strong legal research and writing skills, but too many law students of color do not receive enough opportunities to develop these critical skills.
Our legal writing workshops, 1:1 legal writing feedback program, and individualized support on application materials helped fill this important gap. Students have also received practical, behind-the-scenes advice from practitioners, such as shadowing them on active Supreme Court cases.
The Mentorship Program empowers law students of color to become the next generation of appellate attorneys and judges. If you are interested in applying to be a mentee in future years, sign up for our listserv here to ensure you are the first to know when the application goes live.
To hear from our TAP alums on how the Program has played a part in their journey to the appellate bar, visit Our Students page.
Hear what our mentors and mentees are saying
Cornell Law School, Class of 2022
Howard University School of Law, Class of 2021
Vanderbilt Law School, Class of 2021