As part of our ongoing commitment to diversity, we are proud to sponsor the Kirkland & Ellis LLP Diversity Fellowship Program. Our 2005-2012 Diversity Fellows, selected after an application process from among second-year law students holding offers to join our Summer Associate Program, were each awarded a $15,000 stipend. Beginning with the 2013 Fellowship Program, we are excited to report that our 2013 Diversity Fellows will receive a $25,000* stipend.
Kirkland has sponsored the program since 2004 and awarded fellowships to 10 students in 2013.
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Since its inception, Kirkland has awarded 121 fellowship grants totaling more than $1.9 million.
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In 2009, Kirkland expanded the criteria for the fellowship and asked applicants to submit a personal statement about the contributions he or she would make to Kirkland's diversity mission as a whole. This new criteria has resulted in a class of Fellows that more closely reflects the diverse and unique community of attorneys at Kirkland.
“I remember the exact moment as a summer associate when I knew Kirkland was the right place for me. In addition to amazing work and an incredible array of opportunities, the Firm provides an environment where you are welcomed and accepted for being yourself. I continue to be happy at Kirkland because I am comfortable in my own skin and I know that my comfort is what allows me to advance as an attorney.”
Ashley James, Washington, D.C., litigation and employment & labor associate and 2009 Kirkland & Ellis LLP Diversity Fellow
“As a Kirkland & Ellis LLP Diversity Fellow and an associate in both the New York and Shanghai offices, I have experienced the Firm’s commitment to diversity firsthand. Having been at Kirkland for several years now, I am happy to say I’ve made the right choice. Not only does Kirkland support racial/ethnic, gender and LGBT diversity, but the Firm also encourages and rewards a culture of diverse personalities and backgrounds.”
Cheryl Yuan, Shanghai corporate associate and 2007 Kirkland & Ellis LLP Diversity Fellow
We are honored to present our 2013 Kirkland & Ellis LLP Diversity Fellowship recipients:
Charles Logan Anderson, University of Chicago Law School
Megan Byrne, Stanford Law School
Emily Chen, University of California, Berkeley School of Law
Michael Fitzgerald, Georgetown University Law Center
Zahreen Ghaznavi, Columbia Law School
Shayne Henry, University of California, Berkeley School of Law
Erika Lopez, Cornell Law School
Wesley Morrissette, Northwestern University School of Law
Diego Ortega, Howard University School of Law
Dilveer Vahali, University of Southern California, Gould School of Law
Questions about our fellowship program should be directed to Cherie Conrad Beffa at cherie.beffa@kirkland.com.
*$25,000 less all required income and payroll taxes.
