FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Rob Saka, Associate; Stephanie Hirano, Partner; Adrian Torres, Associate; Sunita Bali, Associate
FROM 1L DIVERSITY FELLOWS TO A CAREER AT PERKINS COIE The 1L Diversity Fellowship program has paved a steady road to change by opening the door for diverse students to experience practice at a large law firm. The program, which provides each diverse law student a $7,500 academic scholarship and paid summer associate position, began in the Seattle office in 1991 and has since then touched 100 diverse students across 11 Perkins Coie offices. As the Fellowship program hits the 25-year mark, six former fellows reflect upon how the program has impacted their careers and led them to take root at Perkins Coie. The former fellows cite the feeling of community, the sense of inclusion, opportunities for mentorship and the firm’s commitment to diversity as the elements that made them choose Perkins Coie.
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From 1L Diversity Fellows to a Career at Perkins Coie
COMMUNITY “It starts and ends with the people that make up the firm,” explains Washington, D.C. Associate Adrian Torres. “It’s important to have great working relationships.” Portland Associate Edward Choi agrees: “The people I met in the interviewing process made Perkins’ culture stand out. There weren’t the same formalities. Conversations were free flowing and it was much more comfortable.” Sunita Bali says: “My 1L Fellowship summer at Perkins Coie was enjoyable. The people were great, and I worked with people I liked and respected. I developed good relationships in and outside of my practice group. Everyone I encountered expressed interest in my growth. I was more than a disposable resource to the firm.” The firm has developed a 1L Diversity Summer Associate Retreat to facilitate 1L Fellows coming together to receive best practices on navigating the law firm culture. Adrian says: “The attorneys and staff at Perkins Coie are smart and diligent at what they do, but what sets them apart is their character. The attorneys I work with, for example, jump at the opportunity to offer advice and mentorship, and that advice flows naturally—which is important for young associates who tend to hesitate to ask questions or seek advice. Often we think of law firms as these stoic entities with rigid barriers separating partners, associates, and staff. But at Perkins Coie that rigid hierarchical structure has been diminished by mutual respect and appreciation for everyone on the team.”