JIOP ELIGIBILITY
The mission of the Judicial Intern Opportunity Program is to provide opportunities to students who are members of racial and ethnic groups that are traditionally underrepresented in the profession. The program also provides opportunities to students with disabilities, students who are economically disadvantaged and students who identify themselves as LGBT.
About Race and Ethnicity:
“African American” refers to people having origins in any of the Black racial groups of Africa. It may include people who identify their race or races as “Black,” “African American,” “Negro,” “Afro American,” “Nigerian,” or “Haitian.”
“Asian” refers to people having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent. It may include people who indicated their race or races as “Asian Indian,” “East Indian,” “Chinese,” “Filipino,” “Korean,” “Japanese,” “Vietnamese,” “Burmese,” “Hmong,” “Pakistani,” or “Thai.” “Pacific Islander” refers to people having origins in any of the original people of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands. It includes people who identify their race or races as “Native Hawaiian,” “Guamanian or Chamorro,” “Samoan,” “Tahitian,” “Marina Islander,” or “Chuukese.”
“Caucasian” refers to people having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa. It may include people who identify their race or races as “White” or who identify their ethnic background as Irish, German, Italian, Portuguese, Lebanese, Near Easterner, Arab, or Polish.
“Hispanic/Latino(a)” refers to persons of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin regardless of race.
“Native American” refers to people having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America (including Central America), including American Indians and Alaska Natives (including Eskimos and Aleuts), and who maintain tribal affiliation or community attachment. It may include people who identify their race or races as “Rosebud Sioux,” “Chippewa,” or “Navajo.”
How to define Sexual orientation and Gender identity:
“Gender Identity” refers to a person’s innate, deeply felt psychological identification as male or female, which may or may not correspond to the person’s body or designated sex at birth (meaning the sex originally designated on the person’s birth certificate).
“Sexual Orientation” refers to an individual’s physical and/or emotional attraction to the same and/or opposite gender. “Heterosexual,” “bisexual” and “homosexual” are all sexual orientations.
How to define lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender
“Lesbian”: a woman whose physical and/or emotional attachments are to women.
“Gay”: a man whose physical and/or emotional attachments are to men.
“Bisexual”: a man or woman whose physical and/or emotional attractions and attachments are to persons of both genders.
“Transgender”: an umbrella term that includes individuals or varying gender behaviors, inclusive of, but not limited to: “transsexuals” who experience and/or express their gender identity by identifying or referring to themselves as changing their sex; ‘heterosexual cross dressers’ and ‘drag queens and kings,’ who identify as their natal gender, but present as another gender for social, political or economic reasons; ‘transvestites’ who cross dress for psychosexual reasons’ and others who question their gender identity or expression.
Disability:
“Disability” refers to an enduring mental, sensory, or physical disability. The ABA is committed to promoting justice and the rule of law for persons with mental, physical, and sensory disabilities and to promote their full and equal participation in the legal profession.
About Economically Disadvantaged:
“Economically Disadvantaged” refers to students from a low income family, or from an economically or otherwise disadvantaged background. Students applying under the economically disadvantaged category will be asked to submit supporting financial documents. These documents along with the statement of interest will be reviewed to determine eligibility and lack of opportunity due to individual circumstances.
