Leadership Opportunities for Young Lawyers and Law Students

Dozens of young lawyers and law students are honored each year through ABA member groups’ awards. These ABA awards recognize public service, professionalism, community involvement in the legal profession, and much more.

Other Young Lawyer and Law Student Opportunities

Career-advancing fellowships, internships & clerkships. Professional recognition through awards and writing competitions. Financial assistance like funded travel and scholarships. Each year the ABA offers 100+ opportunities and programs for young lawyers and law students.

Civil Rights & Social Justice — Committee Leader Positions

• Sponsoring ABA Entity: Civil Rights & Social Justice
• Description: Committee leaders (and our membership) are the backbone of the Section – our Section work would not happen without them. In April, the Chair-Elect will begin appointing Section members interested in leading the Section's 21 substantive committees or becoming Section liaisons to other ABA entities. The appointment term will begin after the Annual Meeting.
• Deadline: March 3, 2023
  
• Who is eligible: Law Students, Young Lawyers, All interested parties

Civil Rights & Social Justice — Human Rights Magazine

• Sponsoring ABA Entity: Civil Rights & Social Justice
• Description: Human Rights is the official publication of the American Bar Association’s Section of Civil Rights and Social Justice. The magazine has an international readership that includes many prominent figures in the arena of human rights and civil liberties. Published quarterly, the award-winning magazine circulates to approximately 12,000 CRSJ members, academic institutions, libraries, and other interested readers. The magazine provides information and analysis that will ultimately help leaders, scholars, and activists protect and expand individual rights. Past themes include fair elections and voting rights, the state of free speech, international human rights, children’s rights, immigration, and the rights of indigenous peoples. If you are interested in writing for the Human Rights magazine, please contact the editor Melissa Hodek.
• Deadline: N/A
  
• Who is eligible: Law Students, Young Lawyers, all interested parties

Environment Energy & Resources — Law Student Volunteer Program

• Sponsoring ABA Entity: Environment Energy & Resources
• Description: Law students can apply to serve as a volunteer at in-person SEER Spring and Fall Conferences. Selected volunteers will receive a conference registration fee waiver.
• Deadline: N/A
• Who is eligible: Law Students

Antitrust Law — Young Lawyer Speakers Bureau

• Sponsoring ABA Entity: Antitrust Law
• Description: The ABA Antitrust Law Section has launched a Young Lawyer and Young Economist Speakers & Writers Bureau (for those in practice for less than 10 years) to help foster the development of the next generation of lawyers and economists. Individuals who submit the online form agree to be contacted about antitrust and consumer protection-related speaking and writing opportunities. This is an ongoing program (no end-date).
• Who is eligible: Young Lawyers

Intellectual Property — ABA-IPL Young Lawyers Action Group

• Sponsoring ABA Entity: Intellectual Property
• Description: The ABA-IPL Young Lawyers Action Group (YLAG) is a group that offers young lawyers with an interest in trademark, copyright, or patent law opportunities to develop their skills in and network with other new and seasoned lawyers.
• Deadline: N/A
• Who is eligible: Young Lawyers

Business Law — Leadership Academy

• Sponsoring ABA Entity: Business Law
• Description: The ABA Business Law Section is committed to providing its members skills to assume leadership roles in the ABA, charitable and community organizations and their places of employment. The Leadership Academy has been organized to carry out this objective. The Academy will offer an advancing curriculum of CLE programs aimed to develop leadership skills of lawyers. The programs will be held over the course of a two-year period at four in-person meetings and two ancillary webinar presentations. To obtain the Leadership Academy Certificate of Completion, participants must attend the academy curriculum offered over a period of two years.
• Deadline: Applications typically close each year in June.
• Who is eligible: Law Students, Young Lawyers

Criminal Justice — Diversity and Inclusion Fellowship Program

• Sponsoring ABA Entity: Criminal Justice
• Description: The Diversity and Inclusion Fellowship Program provides opportunities for lawyers in under-represented groups such as ethnically diverse lawyers, persons with disabilities, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons, to actively participate within the Criminal Justice Section and prepare them to take on leadership roles within the Section.
• Deadline: Applications typically close each year in July
• Who is eligible: Young Lawyers

Governmental Affairs Office — Congressional Key Contact Program

• Sponsoring ABA Entity: Governmental Affairs Office
• Description: Law students through experienced young lawyers can act as the ABA's constituent conduit to their elected officials. The Key Contact would work with the GAO to provide the offices of elected officials with updated information and opportunities for coordination with the ABA. They would also have the opportunity to meet with their Senators and their Representative at least twice a year to act as a resource for their elected officials while building and maintaining relationships with the elected officials and their staff.
• Who is eligible: Law Students, Young Lawyers

Intellectual Property — ABA-IPL Law Student Action Group

• Sponsoring ABA Entity: Intellectual Property
• Description: The Law Student Action Group (LSAG) is a dynamic group of law students, led by young lawyers and law students, which will have first word and immediate broadcast of many Section opportunities -- including involvement in committees, publications, and programming. Those who belong to LSAG will also develop their own programs and work together to address areas of particular concern to law students.
• Deadline: N/A
• Who is eligible: Law Students

Intellectual Property — ABA-IPL Law Student Reporter Program

• Sponsoring ABA Entity: Intellectual Property
• Description: The ABA-IPL Law Student Action Group selects law students with an interest in intellectual property law to serve as Law Student Reporters (LSRs) for Section conferences. Students selected for the program receive a complimentary registration and ABA-IPL conference. In return for this experience, law student reporters promote the educational programs and conference events by creating a social media presence at the virtual conference, live-tweeting, posting to Facebook, etc., and publishing pre-conference and post-conference blog posts.
• Deadline: N/A
• Who is eligible: Law Students, Applicants do not need to be Section members, but students need to join the Section prior to the conference they are reporting on.

Science & Technology Law — Stand Out

• Sponsoring ABA Entity: Science & Technology Law
• Description: Social Media Contributor (Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter) Post on designated site to highlight committee and Section programs, products, events, and relevant news 30 minutes/week E-Newsletter Editor Compile original articles from authors; may highlight excerpt of SciTech book and/or The SciTech Lawyer 2 hours/issue Reporters for Section's National Institutes - Articles to appear in upcoming Section publications
• Deadline: Applications typically close each year in September.
  
• Who is eligible: Law Students

Tort Trial & Insurance Practice — Leadership Academy

• Sponsoring ABA Entity: Tort Trial & Insurance Practice
• Description: The Leadership Academy is designed to provide young lawyers leadership skills that they can apply both to their practice and to TIPS. All are encouraged to apply, but if selected, it is required that they become members of TIPS.
• Deadline: Applications typically close each year in December.
• Who is eligible: Young Lawyers

Tort Trial & Insurance Practice - TIPS Now! Fellows Program

• Sponsoring ABA Entity: Tort Trial & Insurance Practice
• Description: The TIPS Now! Program springboards participants into leadership roles within the Section by providing involvement opportunities and leadership exposure. 
• More Information: ABA site
• Deadline: Applications typically close each year in April.
• Who is eligible: Young Lawyers

Young Lawyers Division — YLD Directors Appointments

• Sponsoring ABA Entity: Young Lawyers Division
• Description: Join a robust network of peers from all backgrounds and expertise, to provide young lawyers with ideas, insights, and resources. Leverage your skills and expertise for pro-bono engagement and give back through programs and initiatives improve the legal profession.
• Deadline: Applications typically close each year in November.
• Who is eligible: Young Lawyers

Young Lawyers Division — YLD Leadership Appointments

• Sponsoring ABA Entity: Young Lawyers Division
• Description: Join a robust network of peers from all backgrounds and expertise, to provide young lawyers with ideas, insights, and resources. Leverage your skills and expertise for pro-bono engagement and give back through programs and initiatives improve the legal profession.
• Deadline: Applications typically close each year in January.
  
• Who is eligible: Young Lawyers

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