2025 Portland 1L Diversity Scholarship

Davis Wright Tremaine LLP is accepting applications for our 1L Diversity Scholarship in our Portland office. The scholarship recipient will work in a paid summer associate position and receive $15,000 scholarship for their second-year tuition and expenses.

Our vision is to foster a culture where all talented individuals-including those who are from communities traditionally underrepresented in the legal profession-can have, and can see, paths to success.

Your Journey Starts Here

We want future colleagues who spend their summer with us to get the full experience of working at DWT. That includes doing complex work for market-leading clients alongside colleagues who care about your interests and who have expertise and insight that can help you learn how to build a practice. It also means joining a community that values excellent work and client service, teamwork, fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive culture, giving back to our communities, and leading rich personal lives outside the office. 

So, what does that actually look like? It’s doing everything from drafting motions and contracts to assisting with pro bono matters to preparing for and attending client meetings, depositions, negotiations, and trials. It’s getting legal and skills training from our practice and industry groups and being paired with mentors based on your particular goals and interests. And it’s getting to know your colleagues at work and beyond, through affinity groups, events like our Summer Associate retreat, and countless conversations over lunch and coffee.

By the end of the summer, you’ll know what it’s like to be a first-year associate at DWT-and a member of our community. Come join us!

Our 1L Diversity Scholarship position is open to first-year law students who:

• Commit to fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive legal profession;
• Take an entrepreneurial approach to their work and career;
• Excel in written and oral communication, research, and analysis;
• Prioritize collaboration, effective use of time, and professional responsibility;
• Bring creativity and confidence to their work; and
• Intend to practice in Portland after law school.

Please have the following documents ready to upload for your application:  

• Current resume
• Cover letter (please indicate your connection to Portland in the letter and address to Sandra Morriss, Manager, Law Student Talent Acquisition)
• Personal Statement*
• Legal writing sample, not heavily edited by a third party (generally 5-10 pages)
• List of three references (one of whom is qualified to comment on your law school work)
• Complete undergraduate transcripts (unofficial copies are acceptable)
• Law school transcript for fall term (unofficial copy is acceptable)**

* Your personal statement should help us learn more about you and should address the requirements of the position, including a commitment to fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive legal profession. This includes your personal experiences and information not readily available on your resume. Your personal statement should be no more than one page, single-spaced, and 12-point font. Please include your name in the header but do not address your personal statement to anyone.

**If your transcript is not available at the time you submit your application, please submit your application without it. You will receive an email in January with a link and instructions for submitting it via our website.

Submission received via the position listing on our website by Sunday, January 5, 2025, 11:59 p.m. PT will receive preference, but positions remain listed on our website until they are filled. Emailed applications cannot be accepted. Application review and interviews may be conducted on a rolling basis. 

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are part of the fabric of Davis Wright Tremaine - central to who we are and what we do. Our vision is to foster a culture where all talented individuals - including those who are from traditionally underrepresented communities in the legal profession - can have, and can see, a path to success.  We embed DEI throughout our law firm with our four-pillar framework: Community, Growth, Education, and Engagement.  We invite you to learn more about our commitment to DEI at https://www.dwt.com/about/diversity-equity-and-inclusion.

Davis Wright Tremaine provides reasonable accommodations for those who need them to complete the application or recruiting process and for employees who need reasonable accommodations to perform the essential functions of their positions due to a disability or for religious reasons. If you need to request accommodation during the application or recruiting process, please email HumanResources_Confidential@dwt.com.