US 2L Diversity Fellowship

As part of Cooley’s ongoing commitment to diversity and inclusion, we are proud to offer diversity fellowships to outstanding second-year law school students. Award recipients will receive a paid 2L summer associate position and an award of up to $40,000 to assist with law school tuition.

The award will be paid in two installments:

  • A $20,000 payment if you spend at least eight weeks with the firm during the 2026 summer program and receive and accept an offer of full-time employment with Cooley.
  • A $20,000 final payment upon joining the firm as a full-time associate, to be included in your first paycheck.

Eligibility

We welcome applications from all law students who: 

  • Are enrolled full time in an American Bar Association-accredited law school with an anticipated graduation date of May/June 2027 (or December 2026) at the time of application.
  • Demonstrate a commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion within their local communities and/or more broadly.
  • Can participate in and complete Cooley’s 2026 summer program.
  • Are not the immediate family member of any partner or employee of Cooley LLP.

Selection criteria

We will select fellows based on consideration of:

  • Demonstrated commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion
  • Law school academic performance
  • Personal achievement
  • Demonstrated leadership ability
  • Community service

Application process

Applicants should submit one complete and accurate online application that includes:

  • A personal statement that is no more than one single-spaced page in length and demonstrates achievement of the above selection criteria
  • A current résumé
  • Graduate program transcripts (if applicable)
  • A law school transcript

Apply now

Please note

  • Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. If you are applying for our 2L Diversity Fellowship, there’s no need to submit a separate application for our early recruitment program (Cooley Direct). If you are not awarded one of our diversity fellowships, we will still review your application for our 2026 summer program.
  • Only one application may be submitted.
  • If you are interested in more than one office location, apply to your top choice and indicate your other interests in the open text box on the application.
  • Cooley hires summer associates into specific practice areas (e.g., general corporate, business litigation, technology transactions, life sciences, etc.). Please list your area of interest in the text box of the application.
  • If you apply before you receive your complete 1L transcript, please upload a partial transcript and send a complete transcript to diversityfellowship@cooley.com when available. 
  • Applications must be received by August 15, 2025.

If you have any questions, please reach out to diversityfellowship@cooley.com.

Learn more about diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) at Cooley