TALENT. TEAMWORK. RESULTS.
2017
SIDLEY PRELAW SCHOLARS PROGRAM
The Sidley Prelaw Scholars Program is designed
to increase diversity in law schools and the legal
profession by helping diverse, high-performing
college students with financial need offset the
high costs of LSAT preparation classes and
admissions applications.
The Sidley Scholars Program prepared me for the upcoming year’s curriculum and enabled me to focus on what’s important right now — achieving academic success.
–ISAAC G. LARA Sidley Scholar
Are you a diverse, high-performing college student planning to pursue a career in law, but
struggling with the costs of the LSAT and law school applications? Consider applying for the
Sidley Prelaw Scholars Program.
The Sidley Prelaw Scholars Program aims to increase diversity in law schools and, eventually,
in the legal profession by subsidizing the LSAT preparatory course and law school application
expenses of talented, diverse college students who may have difficulty paying the expenses
associated with applying to law school.
For eligibility requirements, an outline of the program and how to apply, please read below or
visit www.sidleyscholars.com.
Program Elements • 2018 Sidley Scholars Summer Seminar, a multiple-day introduction to the structure
of the American legal system and substantive instruction on the traditional first-year law school courses, including tips on how to succeed in law school, as well as an opportunity to meet Sidley lawyers and other leaders in the legal community. The Sidley Scholars Summer Seminar is for Scholars who are starting law school immediately following the Summer Seminar.
• Scholars will receive up to $2,500 to pay tuition for selected commercial LSAT preparation courses, as well as reimbursement for application fees for as many as seven law schools.
• Scholars may be eligible to receive an additional $2,500 scholarship award in two installments. Scholars will receive $1,250 when they have (1) successfully completed an approved LSAT preparatory course, (2) taken the LSAT and (3) applied to at least five accredited law schools. Each Scholar will receive a final $1,250 scholarship distribution once the Scholar has informed Sidley that he or she has been accepted to, and is committed to start law school at, an accredited law school and has attended the entire Sidley Scholars Summer Seminar in the summer immediately preceding the Scholar’s matriculation at that law school.
Sidley Prelaw Scholars Program
2016 JOAN GUGGENHEIMER
DIVERSITY CHAMPION AWARD
–JPMORGAN CHASE
SIDLEY AUSTIN LLP 3
EligibilitySidley Scholars will be selected on a competitive basis.
To be considered as a Sidley Scholar, one must:
• Be a second-semester college junior or a senior, graduating from an accredited American college in good standing no later than June 30, 2018, or be a very recent graduate of an accredited American college.
• Be a native-born or naturalized U.S. citizen.
• Submit a complete application and supporting materials by the application deadline.
• Demonstrate financial need through the application and supporting materials.
Because of the mission of the program, preference will be given to the most well-qualified diverse applicants with an emphasis on populations underrepresented in the legal field.
Expectations of Sidley ScholarsEach Sidley Scholar is expected to:
• Graduate in good standing from college no later than June 30, 2018.
• Meet all LSAT, law school application and program deadlines.
• Attend all classes associated with the LSAT preparatory course.
• Attend the entire Sidley Scholars Summer Seminar in the summer before law school. The last installment of the scholarship award is contingent upon in-person attendance and successful completion of the Sidley Scholars Summer Seminar. It is expected that 2017 Sidley Scholars will attend the 2018 Summer Seminar. Reasonable travel expenses to the Summer Seminar will be reimbursed.
• Matriculate to law school in Fall 2018.
• Be available via telephone and email to Sidley representatives from February 2017 through September 2018.
• Upon starting law school, remain in touch with Sidley representatives to provide feedback on how the Sidley Prelaw Scholars Program is benefiting the Sidley Scholar during the first year of law school.
• Upon an expression of interest, be available to a future Sidley Scholar as a mentor.
In rare circumstances, a student may request that the firm consider an exception to a requirement of the program. Sidley’s Diversity Committee will consider such requests on a case-by-case basis, but certain benefits of the program may not be made available to such student. For example, Scholars who do not attend the entire summer seminar will not receive the second installment of their scholarship award. All such decisions are at the sole discretion of Sidley’s Diversity Committee.
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FOR LGBT EQUALITY
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DIVERSITY FIRM OF THE YEAR
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Funding ($2,500 maximum) for: • Tuition for a Sidley-approved LSAT preparatory course
• Registration fees for the June, September or December 2017 LSAT and the Law School Data Assembly Service (LSDAS)
• Law school application fees (up to seven)
• LSDAS report fees (up to seven)
Scholarship Award ($2,500) • Half of the scholarship will be paid after the scholar has applied to at least
five law schools.
• Second half of the scholarship will be paid after the scholar commits to a specific law school, notifies Sidley of that law school’s name and attends the entire Sidley Scholars Summer Seminar the summer before matriculation.
2017 Program Timeline • Friday, January 13, 2017 Application deadline (postmark date or electronic
submission)
• Week of March 13, 2017 2017 Sidley Scholars published to website the week of March 13, 2017. Check website for winners: www.sidleyscholars.com
• April 2017 Start date for LSAT prep course for June 2017 LSAT (exact dates vary by location and provider)
• Monday, June 12, 2017 June 2017 LSAT
• Saturday, September 16, 2017 September 2017 LSAT
• Monday, September 18, 2017 September 2017 LSAT for Sabbath observers
• Saturday, December 2, 2017 December 2017 LSAT
• Monday, December 4, 2017 December 2017 LSAT for Sabbath observers
• June/July 2018 Sidley Scholars Summer Seminar (Exact date to be determined and may be subject to change.)
How to ApplyVisit www.sidleyscholars.com.
Download, complete and print the online application. Submit the application, an official transcript,* Free Application for Federal Student Aid,** resume and a sealed and signed recommendation to:
Sidley Prelaw Scholars Program c/o Merisa Lima Sidley Austin LLP One South Dearborn Chicago, IL 60603
OR
Email the application and supporting documents to: [email protected] may be submitted electronically, but they must be emailed directly from the recommender (and not the applicant). If the recommendation is being mailed, it must be signed, sealed and sent to the above address. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
* Unofficial transcripts are accepted. However, once an applicant has been chosen, he/she must submit an official transcript.
**Free application for Federal Student Aid is available at www.fafsa.ed.gov.
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OVERALL DIVERSITY
– VAULT, 2016
PERFECT 100 SCORE ON THE HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN CORPORATE
EQUALITY INDEX
2016
2016 Sidley Scholars Summer Seminar Class: Law School Matriculation
2 YALE
1 CHICAGO-KENT
2 COLUMBIA
1 FORDHAM
1 HARVARD
1 UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA 1 NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY
1 SOUTHWESTERN
1 ST. JOHN'S UNIVERSITY
1 UCLA
1 UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
1 UNIVERSITY OF IOWA
1 UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND
1 UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN 1 UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN
1 UVA 1 HOWARD UNIVERSITY
1 GEORGETOWN
About the FirmSidley Austin LLP is a premier law firm with a practice highly attuned to the ever-changing international landscape. The firm has built a reputation for being an adviser for global business, with more than 1,900 lawyers in 20 offices worldwide. Sidley maintains a commitment to providing quality legal services and to offering advice in litigation, transactional and regulatory matters spanning virtually every area of law. The firm’s lawyers have wide-reaching legal backgrounds and are dedicated to teamwork, collaboration and superior client service.
Sidley is committed to achieving greater diversity not only for our firm, but within the legal profession as a whole. We strive to attract and retain outstanding lawyers of varied backgrounds who reflect the global marketplace that we serve.
Through the leadership of our Diversity Committee and the Committee on Retention and Promotion of Women, Sidley aspires to make sustainable progress in our journey toward becoming a more diverse organization.
For more information about Sidley, visit www.sidley.com.
THURGOOD MARSHALL
COLLEGE FUND LEGACY AWARD
2015
SIDLEY AUSTIN LLP 7
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