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Eversheds Sutherland Scholars

ES Scholars is an intensive three-week summer program for college seniors, recent college graduates and mid-career professionals.

ES Scholars Program
2024 ES Scholars Application will be available shortly. 

 

Eversheds Sutherland is committed to enhancing the diversity of the legal profession by providing aspiring lawyers from underrepresented backgrounds with practical information and tools to be successful in law school and in their legal careers.

Established in 2005, the ES Scholars Program is an intensive three-week summer program for college seniors, recent college graduates and mid-career professionals who have applied to law school. Preference will be given to candidates who have been accepted to a law school, and in the case of college students and recent college graduates, those who have maintained a 3.0-grade point average or higher. The program curriculum is designed to demystify law school, provide tools to succeed and introduce people from underrepresented racial/ethnic and gender groups, members of the LGBTQ community and people with disabilities to careers in law. Guest speakers, instructors and panelists have included general counsels from Fortune 100 companies, presiding judges, a Justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia, deans of law schools and law school admissions professionals.  Eversheds Sutherland attorneys and other legal professionals provide valuable law school tips, industry insight, and advice through networking events and panel discussions.

For the first two weeks, ES Scholars will attend classes held virtually Monday through Friday from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. A law professor (Emory University School of Law professor) will lead intensive courses on introductory contracts, legal writing and bluebooking, followed by exams. During the final week of programming, panel discussions and networking opportunities will be held Monday to Friday from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. in person separately (but concurrently) for each of the three cohorts in our Atlanta, New York and Washington, DC offices. The program will end with graduation.  Eversheds Sutherland does not provide housing (please refer to Frequently Asked Questions); however, ES Scholars will be provided with a small travel stipend to offset the cost of parking, public transportation or rideshare to our offices (as applicable). Upon successful completion of the program, ES Scholars will receive a modest stipend.

Since its inception, more than 450 ES Scholars have graduated from the program, and 95% of that group have been accepted into law schools across the country. In 2017, the program was awarded the Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA) George B. Vashon Innovator Award, which recognized Eversheds Sutherland for excellence in innovative practices and commitment in assisting attorneys from underrepresented backgrounds. The program was also recognized as part of the winning submission for the “Best Diversity Initiative” at the 2022 Georgia Legal Awards.

The program is offered at no cost to participants and includes:

  • Introduction to contracts, legal writing, and bluebooking
  • Panel discussions including topics such as:
  • Admissions guidelines to law schools and law firm recruitment
  • A practical approach to assignments, reading, and studying strategies
  • Insight into law firm recruitment processes
  • Tips on resume preparation
  • Financing law school and legal career planning
  • Networking with fellow ES Scholars, ES Scholars Alums, Eversheds Sutherland attorneys, and other legal professionals
  • A modest stipend upon successful completion of the program

Law Professor

Professor Kamina Pinder

Ms. Kamina A. Pinder
Professor of Practice
Emory Law

Professor Kamina Pinder joined the ES Scholars program in 2017 and the Emory faculty in 2016. As a Professor of Practice, she teaches Introduction to Legal Analysis, Introduction to Legal Advocacy, Contracts, Introduction to the Law, Legal Profession, and Law and Legal Professionals. She has taught in several law and business schools in the areas of legal writing, contracts, professional ethics, ethical issues in healthcare, remedies, case settlement negotiation, bar prep, and externship. Pinder is also a bar review lecturer in the subject of professional responsibility. Her scholarship has been published in the University of Louisville Law Review, Stanford Journal of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, Amsterdam Law Forum, Journal of Law and Education, and the Georgetown Journal of Law and Education. Pinder practiced in the Office of the General Counsel for the United States Department of Education where she served as legal counsel to a number of federal grant programs. Since starting at Emory Law, Pinder has been awarded the Inaugural Provost’s Distinguished Teaching Award for Excellence in Graduate and Professional Education and the Professor of the Year, awarded by Emory’s Black Law Students’ Association. She previously served as the Director of the Emory Law Professionalism Program. Ms. Pinder received her L.L.M. from Georgetown University Law Center, her J.D. from New York University School of Law and her B.A from Smith College.

Pathway to success 2023 ES Scholars Program Brochure

Eversheds Sutherland Nationally Recognized for Diversity and Inclusion Programs

The ES Scholars Program is a competitive law school prep program for college seniors, recent college graduates and mid-career professionals who have applied to law school. The selection committee will give preference to applicants who have been accepted to a law school, and in the case of college students and recent college graduates, those who have maintained a 3.0-grade point average or higher. The deadline for submitting a completed application, along with supporting documents is May 17, 2023.

2024 ES Scholars Application will be available shortly.

If you have any questions, please send your email to Gabrielle Eshun at esscholars@eversheds-sutherland.com.

A modest stipend will be awarded upon successful completion of the program.

Eligibility for funding will be awarded to applicants based on the following criteria:

  • Applicants cannot miss more than two (2) sessions
  • Applicants cannot be late to more than two (2) sessions
  • Exams have to be completed and handed in on time
ES Scholars Program Frequently Asked Questions

If you have any questions, please send your email to esscholars@eversheds-sutherland.com. Thank you.

If you would like to receive materials or have questions, please contact Gabrielle Eshun, ES Scholars Program Manager at ESScholars@eversheds-sutherland.com.

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