A metro Detroit-based firm is set to unveil a new scholarship program to provide diverse students with monetary help with law school.
Plunkett Cooney will award $2,500 scholarships to three diverse law school students who participate in the firm’s Diversity & Inclusion essay program.
According to the firm, “diverse students” for the scholarship program include, but are not limited to, applicants based on race, ethnicity, nationality, gender identity, LGBTQIA+ identity, disability and neurodivergence. Applicants have until June 23 to submit their essays.
McGiffert
“We are excited to launch this year’s scholarship program,” Plunkett Cooney’s Director of Diversity & Inclusion Laurel McGiffert said in a press release. “We are looking for diverse students who truly understand the importance of, and who are committed to, improving diversity and inclusion within the legal industry. Our essay review panel members are really looking forward to reading the essays that are submitted.”
The essay prompt is: “Share an experience you have had, challenge you have overcome, triumph you have enjoyed, or aspect of your background that has influenced your pursuit of a career in law. How has that experience impacted your approach to advancing the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion as you enter the legal profession?”
Winners will be chosen after an essay review panel grades the essays received.
For more than 20 years, the firm has been among the firms leading D&I discussion in the legal community. The firm’s new scholarship program is an extension of its D&I goals, which include attracting and retaining law school students from diverse backgrounds. To make programs like these happen, the firm’s D&I committee works with McGiffert to produce a variety of activities focusing on recruitment, retention, training and mentoring.
The firm has created a Diversity & Inclusion Scholarship website to assist students with their essay and personal information submissions. It can be accessed at https://plunkettcooney.isolvedhire.com/apply/0-0.php .
