“Diversity pays. Working with a diverse group of people is not only stimulating and enjoyable, it also creates new opportunities for challenging and interesting work.”  

- William T. Coleman, Jr.

 
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 Fellowship for first year law students in his memory.

O’Melveny looks to not only hire lawyers of diverse backgrounds but also to hire individuals who share our vision of a more diverse and inclusive legal profession. Our Fellowship seeks individuals with a proven track record of activities that promote diversity and inclusion, including professional work, internships, volunteer work, clubs, hobbies, leadership roles, and academic coursework and performance.

The 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. Once they join, they will be paid as summer associates and receive the networking and developmental opportunities afforded to our community of Coleman Fellows. In some instances, Fellows may have the opportunity to spend part of the summer working with one of the firm’s clients.
  • Following completion of a successful 1L summer, Fellows will be eligible for an automatic callback interview at any O’Melveny US office for a 2L summer associate position.
  • The purpose of the fellowship award is to help pay for tuition and law school expenses.
  • Fellows will also be eligible to be considered for the Leadership Council for Legal Diversity (LCLD) 1L Scholars Program.

Eligibility

Students enrolled at accredited law schools may apply for a Fellowship between December 15 and January 15 of their 1L year. Fellows must be able to demonstrate a proven track record of activities that promote civil rights, social justice, and/or diversity, equity, and inclusion, including professional employment, internships, volunteer positions, student group memberships, leadership roles, and academic coursework and performance.

Law students who are immediate family members of O’Melveny attorneys or professional staff are ineligible for the Coleman Fellowship.

How to Apply

O’Melveny is recruiting 1L Coleman Fellows to join one of our US offices in the summer of 2023. Candidates interested in applying for a Fellowship must submit application materials through our online portal by January 15.

Candidates must submit: (1) a cover letter; (2) a resume; (3) under-graduate and law school transcripts (or the date they expect to receive their law school transcripts if not yet available); (4) a statement of 300 words or fewer describing your personal and professional achievements, leadership abilities, and demonstrated commitment to furthering civil rights, social justice, and/or diversity, equity, and inclusion; and (5) a statement of 300 words or fewer sharing your vision for how the Coleman Fellowship would support your career aspirations of practicing in BigLaw. As part of O’Melveny’s recruiting process, candidates will be required to play Pymetrics.

Application materials must be submitted through our online career portal by January 15. Visit O’Melveny’s career portal here.

For questions or assistance, please contact ommcoleman@omm.com.

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.