ACCGP Diversity Corporate Internship Program

 

 

 

 

                                

2024 DIVERSITY CORPORATE SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

The ACC Greater Philadelphia Chapter is sponsoring its seventeenth annual Diversity Corporate Summer Internship Program, aimed at increasing diversity within corporate legal departments. Applicants meeting the criteria identified below are eligible to apply to participate in the program. This opportunity is open to students who will be 2Ls or 3Ls in Fall 2024.
This full-time, eight-week long summer internship program will commence on or about June 3, 2024. Interns will work during regular business hours of the sponsoring company’s legal department to gain substantive in-house experience in corporate practice. At a minimum, each intern will be compensated a total of $8,000.00 for participation in the program, though a company may elect to compensate an individual intern at a higher rate.
Student applicants will be initially screened by the ACC Greater Philadelphia Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Committee; selection of candidates moving forward will be based on the totality of a student’s application materials. These selected candidates will then be referred to sponsoring companies for interviews. Placement will be, for the most part, random with the goal of providing sponsoring companies with a diverse slate of candidates (though the Committee will do its best to accommodate a student’s areas of stated interest and geographic location when practicable). The number of interviews for each candidate will depend on the number of qualified applicants and the number of sponsoring companies; in past years, it has generally been around two per candidate. Final approval and any offers are at the sole discretion of the company.
The internship program will include a mandatory pro bono/community service event for the student participants, which aligns with the mission of our fund administrator, the Philadelphia Bar Foundation, to support and promote pro bono and community legal services. Additionally, interns and representatives from their sponsoring companies will be invited to participate in summer internship event programming throughout the summer such as an initial kick-off reception, orientation call, mid-program panel, and closing reception/speed networking event.

Application Deadline: January 7, 2024 at 11:59 p.m.
Transcript Submission Deadline: January 19, 2024 at 11:59 p.m.


Frequently Asked Questions


1. What is ACC Greater Philadelphia?
The Greater Philadelphia Chapter is a leading chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC), the world's largest organization serving the professional and business interests of attorneys who practice in the legal departments of corporations, associations and other private-sector organizations. ACC Greater Philadelphia has more than 1,800 members who practice as lawyers in more than 400 organizations, most of whom live and work in Southeastern Pennsylvania. For more information, please visit ACC Greater Philadelphia Chapter website.


2. Who is eligible to participate in this diversity internship program?
Since its inception, the ACC Greater Philadelphia Diversity Corporate Summer Internship Program has been aimed at increasing diversity within corporate legal departments. [CURRENT: The Program is open to law students who (1) are a member of a group traditionally underrepresented in the law (e.g., students of color, women, students with disabilities, or LGBTQ+ students) or have overcome a substantial social or economic disadvantage (e.g., financial constraints or cultural impediments) to becoming a law student | UPDATED: Eligible candidates are those who (1) have faced challenges including, but not limited to, life situations in which their opportunities were diminished significantly by factors beyond their control, such as socio-economic status, discrimination, sparse academic resources or opportunities, and/or other similar adverse circumstances on their path to a legal career] and (2) have an interest in working in an in-house legal department. Applicants should use their personal essay as an opportunity to highlight why they qualify for this diversity program.


3. What is the timeline for the application and interview process?
Applicants must submit all application materials (except for their transcript) by 11:59:59pm ET on Sunday January 7, 2024.  Applicants must ensure that their transcripts be submitted by 11:59:59pm ET on Friday January 19, 2024 (provided however any applicants from University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School may submit their transcript by 11:59:59pm ET on Friday January 26, 2024).


4. Once selected, can I request to interview at a specific sponsoring company?
No. For program administration reasons and in the interest of fairness, the Committee does not take placement requests for candidates.


5. Will any of my relocation, lodging, or travel expenses be reimbursed?
No. Placed interns are responsible for coordinating their own living situation as well as any transportation needs during their summer internship.


6. Which companies are participating in the program this year?
The slate of sponsoring companies for 2024 will be confirmed after applications are due. Please note that company participation varies year to year. Last summer, the 2023 program had 11 participating corporate sponsors and 14 placed students interns. The 2023 corporate participants were Amerisource Bergen, Saint-Gobain Corporation, Cigna, Quaker Houghton, Axalta Coating Systems, Wawa, Inc., Elsevier, Inc., Teleflex Incorporated, National Board of Medical Examiners, Burlington, Marlette Holdings, Inc. dba Best Egg, and Vertical Screen.


7. What happens if I accept an offer from a sponsoring company but then later receive an offer or request to interview from another sponsoring company?
Once you accept an offer from a sponsoring company, you are not permitted thereafter to interview with or accept an offer from another sponsoring company. Withdrawing one accepted offer in favor of a perceived "better offer" within the program will not be permitted.


8. Will the internship lead to a full-time job offer?
Unlike traditional summer associate programs at law firms, there should be no expectation that a summer internship position within our program may lead to further employment (whether it be an offer to return the following summer or for a full-time position after graduation). Due to the nature of the role of in-house counsel, most legal departments do not hire graduates directly out of law school. However, there have been a few instances in our program's history where internships have extended beyond the summer program and have even resulted in full-time job offers.


9. What if I have other questions?
Please contact our committee chairs with any additional questions. Smita Aiyar at [email protected] and Ricki Abrams at [email protected].  Please send any inquiries to BOTH Smita and Ricki.

In 2011, ACC Greater Philadelphia, received the Innovator Award from the Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA), and in 2018, received the “Best Diversity Initiative” Award from Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) for this Program, recognizing the value of this Program and its contribution to the enhancement of the in-house professional community.

Program Details and More Information

2022 Fellows

2021 Fellows

2020 Fellows

2019 Fellows

2018 Fellows