Diversity

A special thank you to The People Connection, Davidson Legal and Swiss Post for their generous sponsorship of the Chapter's Diversity program and Diversity Scholarship.

The primary objective of the Golden Gate Chapter's Diversity Committee is to increase the diversity amongst non-lawyer professionals within law firms and legal departments. Our goal is to raise the awareness of students and young professionals on the various career paths available today. Through a combination of outreach, education and partnership, we strive to meet our diversity goals.

OUTREACH

In collaboration with the City College of San Francisco's College of Business, we introduce our Diversity Initiative specifically to students enrolled in Legal Studies, Accounting, Business Management or Office Technology programs.

EDUCATION

Part of ALA's Diversity Initiative is to increase awareness of and sensitivity to the differences among our workforce, and to advance the concepts of inclusiveness and acceptance.

Periodicallly, the Golden Gate Chapter presents Diversity themed sessions covering gender, generational, race and sexual orientation issues. Check the calendar for upcoming topics.

Additional information and resources can be found at the Association of Legal Administrators website (www.alanet.org/diversity including a diversity toolkit to be used as a guide to assist in implementing and maintaining diversity initiatives in legal organizations.)

INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

The ALA's Diversity Internship Program is designed to expose diverse college and university students to the business side of law firms and the many career opportunities within the legal industry. The program places interns in law firms and legal departments of various sizes and practices. Students will be exposed to a variety of functional and operational departments, with the intention of providing each student with real world work experiences that will assist them with building their resumes in this field.

This program serves two purposes:
(1) Diverse college students gain exposure to and experience in the legal field; and
(2) Participating firms have the opportunity to meet promising young people who might choose to work in the field.

Internships are offered during the summer (12 weeks, full-time) and fall/spring semesters (16 weeks, part-time). The Diversity Internship Program is focused on four career tracks:

1. Human Resources (support staff & attorney);
2. Finance & Billing;
3. Information Systems and Office Technology; and
4. Office Services & Facilities.

ALA Diversity Internship Program FAQ Sheet

How to get started

If your firm would be interested in hosting an intern, or would like additional information on the ALA Diversity Internship Program please contact:

John Hegna at 510-433-2683 or Lori McCracken at 415-627-3423.