Inclusion and Diversity Fellowship
The Inclusion & Diversity Fellowship program is a joint program managed by the California Lawyers Foundation and the California Lawyers Association Antitrust and Unfair Competition Law Section. The Foundation and the Section are dedicated to increasing the participation and visibility of diverse and underrepresented lawyers in the practice of antitrust and unfair competition law. The goal of the fellowship is to provide career opportunities for students from underrepresented groups in the legal profession, increase interest in antitrust and unfair competition law, and promote the work of the Section.
How to Apply: We are currently accepting applications, which are due on January 31, 2025.
A Focus on Diversity
The Antitrust and Unfair Competition Law Section has adopted diversity and inclusion initiatives as integral components of its mission. The Section’s Executive Committee is committed to promoting diversity and inclusion in the Section’s membership and leadership. We actively promote, contribute, and support programs, events, and publications dedicated to creating opportunities in antitrust and unfair competition law for law students and legal professionals from diverse, disadvantaged, and underrepresented backgrounds.
INCLUSION & DIVERSITY FELLOWSHIP
Program Description
The Inclusion & Diversity Fellowship program is a joint program managed by the California Lawyers Foundation (a 501(c)(3) charitable organization) and the California Lawyers Association Antitrust and Unfair Competition Law Section. The Fellowship provides training, mentorship, and career opportunities for students from underrepresented groups in the legal profession, increases interest in antitrust and unfair competition law, and promotes the work of the Section.
To further the Section’s diversity and inclusion goals, the Fellowship is designed for law students who (i) are a member of a diverse population or group that historically has been underrepresented in the legal profession; or (ii) have demonstrated a long-standing commitment to diversity that will be furthered by award of the Fellowship. Applicants should have a demonstrated interest in practicing law in California. In selecting Fellowship recipients, the Committee will consider, among other things: strong academic performance, writing skills, demonstrated leadership qualities, ability to overcome obstacles, a strong interest in antitrust and unfair competition law, and a desire to contribute to the Section’s publications on antitrust or UCL issues.
The Section strongly encourages applications from law students from diverse or underrepresented backgrounds (including but not limited to diversity arising from the applicant’s race, color, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, first generation professional, and veteran status), as well as from law students whose backgrounds may have presented obstacles to accessing the legal profession. The Section will consider this information, as described in the applicant’s personal statement, in selecting Fellowship recipients.
The Fellowship recipient will be the Section’s Inclusion & Diversity Fellow. The program is open to all law students interested in practicing antitrust and unfair competition law in California. Students must be members of the Antitrust and Unfair Competition Law Section to be eligible for the Fellowship. The California Lawyers Association allows all law students up to three one-year Section memberships at no cost. A Fellowship recipient who is not already a Section member will be required to join the Section.
Fellowship Information
The Inclusion & Diversity Fellowship Program offers a pathway for law students who are interested in the practice of antitrust and unfair competition law. In addition to a monetary stipend, the Fellow receives a year-long mentorship from a practicing antitrust or UCL lawyer and a summer internship in a government agency working on antitrust and unfair competition law matters. Specific details are below:
- Award Amount: The Fellowship awards the selected recipient a total of $10,000.
- The award can be combined with other tuition-remission programs and is not preclusive of other forms of financial aid that the student may receive for the same school year. The award can be combined with other tuition-remission programs and is not preclusive of other forms of financial aid that the student may receive for the same school year.
- Mentoring: The Fellowship recipient will be assigned to an antitrust or UCL practitioner as a mentor. The mentor will be responsible for maintaining year-long regular contact with the student and offering the student support, guidance, and advice as appropriate throughout the year.
- Government Internship: The Fellowship provides the student a summer internship with a federal or state governmental antitrust or UCL enforcer, such as the California Department of Justice or the U.S. Department of Justice, which student is required to accept and complete as part of receiving the Award. If the recipient does not complete the internship, the total Award will need to be returned.
- Engagement: The Fellow is expected to attend Section events, including the Section’s annual Golden State Antitrust and Unfair Competition Law Institute with free conference registration. The Fellow is expected to contribute to the Section’s publications related to antitrust and UCL issues.
Eligibility Requirements
Applicants must either:
- be law students currently enrolled full-time in good standing at an ABA-accredited law school and who have completed at least one semester of law school as of application closing date.
- be part-time (four-year program) or joint-degree student currently at least in their second year of law school in good standing at an ABA-accredited law school. Current undergraduate students, students who are not currently enrolled, and LLM students are not eligible to apply.
Applicants also must either
- be a member of a diverse population or group that historically has been underrepresented in the legal profession.
- demonstrate a long-standing commitment to diversity that will be furthered by award of the fellowship. Applicants should have a demonstrated interest in practicing law in California.
Selection considerations will include but are not limited to: strong academic performance, writing skills, demonstrated leadership qualities, ability to overcome obstacles, a strong interest in antitrust and unfair competition law, and a desire to contribute to the Section’s publications on antitrust or UCL issues.
Application Package Details
Please include the following materials in your application packet:
- Completed application form.
- Cover letter
- Resume
- Undergraduate official transcripts
- Law school official transcripts
- Legal writing sample
- Two references (only contact information is required, but letters of reference will be considered)
- Personal essay of no more than 750-1000 words (explaining your interest in the Fellowship program, and describing how you meet the eligibility requirements and how your experiences have impacted your personal growth and your vision for the legal practice).
Fellowship selections will be based on the above application materials and may include video conference interviews by members of the selection committee. Applicants may also be interviewed by prospective employers.
Further Information:
If you have any questions about the Inclusion & Diversity Fellowship Program, please contact the Antitrust and Unfair Competition Law Section Manager, California Lawyers Association, 400 Capitol Mall, Suite 650, Sacramento, CA 95814, antitrust@calawyers.org.
MAKE A CONTRIBUTION TO HELP FUND THE INCLUSION & DIVERSITY FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM!
The Inclusion & Diversity Fellowship Program relies on contributions from our generous supporters from within the California Antitrust and UCL bar. Please consider making a contribution to help support this valuable program.
I want to sponsor the Inclusion & Diversity Fellowship!
2024 Recipients
2024 Recipient: Iman Eslami
Iman Eslami is a first-generation American and second year law student at UC Berkeley School of Law. He has been selected as a 2024-2025 CLA Antitrust & Unfair Competition Section Diversity Fellow where his passion for antitrust and competition law has continued to grow. While in law school, Iman has worked at the CA Department of Justice Antitrust Section as well as the plaintiff-side antitrust firm, Zelle LLP. On campus he is involved with the Berkeley Law Center for Consumer Protection and Economic Justice where he conducts pro bono research for the DC Attorney General. He is also a cofounder of Berkeley’s Antitrust Law and Economics student group and an associate editor for the California Law Review. Prior to law school, Iman worked as an economic consultant for complex litigation disputes. He completed his undergraduate studies at UC Berkeley in Data Science and Economics. He hopes to continue building a career as an antitrust advocate and appreciates the support he has received from CLA to become a leader in the field.
Check out the Youtube Video below!
2024 Recipient: Karla Lora
Karla is a 2L at the University of San Diego, School of Law. She is an associate member of the San Diego Law Review and is a competing member of the Transactional Law Team. Born in the Dominican Republic and raised in the Bronx, New York, she spent 16 years as an undocumented immigrant before becoming a U.S. citizen last March. Despite this challenge, she is a proud first-generation college and law student. Karla earned her B.A. in Sociology and a minor in Political Science from the State University of New York at Geneseo. She previously worked as a paralegal at the Legal Aid Society of D.C. for two years and then as a case assistant at Mintz. She looks forward to pursuing a fulfilling career in antitrust and unfair competition law.
Check out the Youtube Video below!
Past Recipients
2023 Recipient: Catalina Martinez-Baenen
Catalina is a rising 2L at the University of California, Davis School of Law. She is on the board of the Latinx Law Student Association and the board of the Humanitarian Legal Aid Organization, she is also a member of the King Hall Negotiations Team. Originally from Burbank, California, Catalina graduated from the University of California, San Diego with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a minor in Law & Society. She also worked as a Trust & Estates Litigation Paralegal before attending law school. Influenced by her interest in the Sherman Antitrust Act, as well as her background in mental health research, Catalina is interested in the intersection of health and antitrust and unfair competition law.
2022 Recipient: Marshall Ferm
Marshall Fern is the 2022 recipient of its Inclusion and Diversity Fellowship. As part of the Fellowship award, Marshall was a summer intern at the California Department of Justice’s Healthcare Rights and Access Section, Competition Unit, and received an award of $10,000. Apart from the internship, Marshall will participate in and contribute to the CLA’s Antitrust and UCL Section’s activities, and enjoy opportunities to develop relationships with antitrust and UCL practitioners throughout California. Read more about Marshall here.
2021 Recipient: LeeAnna Bowman-Carpio
LeeAnna Bowman-Carpio is the 2021 recipient of the Inclusion and Diversity Fellowship. As part of the Fellowship award, LeeAnna was a summer intern at the California Department of Justice’s Antitrust Section and received a$10,000. Apart from the internship, LeeAnna will participate in and contribute to the CLA’s Antitrust and UCL Section’s activities, and enjoy opportunities to develop relationships with antitrust and UCL practitioners throughout California. Read more >>