William T. Coleman, Jr. Diversity Fellowships
William T. Coleman, Jr. (1920 - 2017), a longtime senior partner and indelible part of O’Melveny’s fabric, served the legal profession and his country for more than 50 years.
A tireless advocate for equality and a key player in the landmark Supreme Court civil rights case Brown v. Board of Education, Coleman urged young lawyers to cultivate their cultural literacy and pay close attention to events unfolding on the world stage. To honor that vision and spirit, O’Melveny created the William T. Coleman, Jr. Diversity Fellowships for first year and second year law students in his memory.
O’Melveny seeks to hire individuals who share our vision of a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive legal profession. Our Fellowship is for individuals who demonstrate a commitment to promoting social justice or diversity and a desire to contribute to the firm’s diversity, equity, and inclusion goals.
The 1L Fellowship
As part of our 1L Coleman Fellowship program, fellows will receive a one-time US$5,000 award paid at the beginning of the summer program to help pay for tuition and law school expenses. Once they join, they will be paid as summer associates (currently US$3,900 per week) and receive the networking and developmental opportunities afforded to our community of Coleman Fellows.
Following completion of a successful 1L summer, meaning that the Fellow is in good standing with satisfactory work performance following the conclusion of the Summer Program, Fellows will be eligible for an automatic callback interview at any O’Melveny US office for a 2L summer associate position.
Eligibility
O’Melveny is recruiting 1L Fellows to join one of our US offices in the summer of 2024. 1L students in good standing may apply between December 1, 2023 and January 15, 2024. Visit O’Melveny’s career portal here.
Law students who are immediate family members of O’Melveny attorneys or business professionals are ineligible for the Coleman Fellowship.
How to Apply
Candidates must submit: (1) a cover letter; (2) a resume; (3) undergraduate and law school transcripts (or the date they expect to receive their law school transcripts if not yet available); and (4) a statement of 300 words or fewer that reflects on how your experiences will help you RISE* to the challenge of promoting social justice and DE&I at O’Melveny. As part of O’Melveny’s recruiting process, candidates will also be required to play Pymetrics.
The materials submitted should demonstrate:
- Strong academic performance, including special achievements and honors
- Examples of experiences supporting social justice or diversity, equity, and inclusion
- Excellent interpersonal skills
Selection
Finalists will be invited to interview with the firm as part of the fellowship selection process. Finalists and Fellows will be notified on a rolling basis.
Once a candidate has been notified of selection as a Fellow, the candidate must accept or decline the offered Fellowship within one (1) week of notification.
For questions or assistance, please contact ommcoleman@omm.com.
The 2L Fellowship
Each Coleman 2L Fellow is eligible for an award up to US$50,000 to be paid in phases: (1) US$25,000 of the award will be paid upon joining our summer program as a 2L summer associate; and (2) an additional US$25,000 payment will be awarded upon returning as a new associate.
Eligibility
O’Melveny is recruiting summer associates for our 2025 summer program. Summer associates who receive an offer to join the summer program are eligible for our 2L Coleman Fellowship program.
Law students who are immediate family members of an O’Melveny attorney or professional staff are ineligible for the Coleman Fellowship.
How to Apply
Candidates interested in being considered for the Fellowship must submit application materials through our online portal between May 15 and August 30, 2024. Visit O’Melveny’s career portal here.
Candidates must submit: (1) a cover letter; (2) a resume; (3) undergraduate and law school transcripts (or the date they expect to receive their law school transcripts if not yet available); and (4) a statement of 300 words or fewer that reflects on how your experiences will help you RISE* to the challenge of promoting social justice and DE&I at O’Melveny. As part of O’Melveny’s recruiting process, candidates will also be required to play Pymetrics.
The materials submitted should demonstrate:
- Strong academic performance, including special achievements and honors
- Examples of experiences supporting social justice or diversity, equity, and inclusion
- Excellent interpersonal skills
Selection
Fellowship award recipients will be notified on a rolling basis. Once a candidate has been notified of selection as a Fellow, the candidate must accept or decline the offered Fellowship within one (1) week of notification.
For questions and or assistance, please contact: ommcoleman@omm.com.
*O’Melveny’s diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy is RISE:
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