At Perkins Coie, we foster a diverse and inclusive community where opportunities to succeed are available to all. Embracing diversity allows us to draw from different backgrounds and experiences, enabling us to attract the best talent to our ranks, and in turn build strong teams that provide excellent service to our clients. We are committed to creating an environment in which all our people thrive because they feel a sense of belonging.

We are proud to offer our Diversity & Inclusion Fellowship Program as part of our comprehensive, firmwide commitment to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Our Diversity & Inclusion Fellows are full participants in our summer associate program and must spend the first 10 weeks of their summer(s) with Perkins Coie. In addition to receiving a summer associate salary, Fellows will also receive a $15,000 stipend at the conclusion of their first-year summer. Fellows who return as 2Ls will receive a $15,000 stipend at the conclusion of their second-year summer. Fellows who accept an offer to join Perkins Coie as an associate after graduation will receive a $10,000 stipend in late May of their final year of law school.

All students who are in good standing in their first year at an ABA-accredited law school are eligible to apply for the Diversity & Inclusion Fellowship Program. Perkins Coie is an Equal Opportunity Employer and welcomes applications for the Diversity & Inclusion Fellowship Program from all eligible applicants regardless of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity / gender expression, disability status, or any other identity.

A complete application must include:

• Current resume.
• Cover letter.
• Undergraduate and law school transcripts (unofficial versions are acceptable).
• A legal writing sample (10-page maximum).
• A personal statement (one-page, single-spaced). The personal statement should be a narrative describing your academic, professional, and life experiences and, where relevant, identifying connections between those experiences and the broader goal of advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the legal profession.

We evaluate all applications for the fellowship and consider the following factors:

• Academic Achievement – A demonstrated record of academic achievement and excellent writing and interpersonal skills, as well as experience that will contribute to a successful career in the legal field.
• DEI Leadership – Engagement in efforts to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion within the community and/or legal profession, including during college or law school.
• Resilience – Obstacles or challenges you have encountered and overcome, how you overcame those obstacles, and what you learned from doing so.
• Perspective – Life experiences that have shaped your perspectives and professional goals.

Perkins Coie LLP stands against hate, racism, xenophobia, and discrimination in any form and against any person or group. In this statement, we specifically condemn the alarming rise in attacks against Jews, and we stand in solidarity with our Jewish colleagues, clients, and friends as we denounce antisemitism in all its forms.

The ADL and various news outlets have reported a disturbing increase in the number of reported antisemitic attacks, including assault, vandalism, and harassment. In 2020 and, so far in 2021, there have been 7,528 reported cases of extremism or antisemitism in the United States. These attacks include many against teenagers, verbal abuse of rabbis, and hate-filled images and messages on social media, among others.

As Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. famously said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” In a time when so much can divide us, we must resist this divisiveness and find solidarity in our humanity, uniting around shared values, and speaking out against actions that are inconsistent with those values.

To learn more and do more, please visit the websites of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and the Anti-Defamation League.

Perkins Coie stands with law firms across the country in signing a joint statement denouncing antisemitism.

Perkins Coie LLP stands against hate, racism, xenophobia, and discrimination in any form and against any person, and specifically condemns the alarming rise in racially motivated incidents against Asians and Asian American Pacific Islanders (AAPIs). Since the start of the pandemic, there have been more than 3,000 recorded hate incidents against Asians and AAPIs. This is merely the tip of the iceberg, however—a vast majority of incidents go unreported due to reasons such as distrust of law enforcement and cultural norms. Recent reported incidents include the following:

• In San Francisco, an 84-year old Thai American died when he was slammed to the ground.
• In New York, a 61-year old Filipino American was slashed in the face on the subway.
• In Oakland, a 91-year old Chinese American was thrown to the ground in an attempted robbery.
• In New York, a 36-year old Chinese American was stabbed in the back, sustaining critical injuries.

Unfortunately, racism against Asians and AAPIs is not new and has deep and disgraceful roots in American history. State actions such as the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, the Alien Exclusion Act of 1904, the Alien Land Law of 1913, the internment of Japanese Americans during WWII, racially motivated violence such as the murder of Vincent Chin in 1982, and anti-Muslim violence after 9/11 are merely a few examples of how the AAPI community has long been unfairly blamed, targeted, and punished for the country’s ills. And, the “model minority” myth and the “perpetual foreigner” stereotype of AAPIs continue to breed resentment and further divide our nation.

Simply put, the blame and the hate must stop. We stand in solidarity with the Asian and AAPI community, including our clients and colleagues, and actively ally ourselves with all communities in ending hate and racism of all forms against all communities. Through our pro bono work and community involvement, we have long been engaged in efforts to address and correct discriminatory policies and practices. Recent events remind us that there is much work to be done to build a more just and equal society. We will remain steadfast in our commitment to advancing racial equity and equality.

Perkins Coie stands with the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association and others in the legal community in calling for action and promoting unity during this difficult time.