Douglas County Legal Diversity Fellowship
Overview
The Douglas County Legal Diversity Fellowship (DCLDF) is a yearlong paid fellowship for diverse KU Law students to do legal work for both a private and public employer in Douglas County, Kansas. Fellows will work 10-hour weeks for two semesters of their 2L or 3L year under the direct supervision of a practicing attorney. Students will be paid at the beginning of each semester for their work.
Douglas County Legal Diversity Fellowship Resources
Students must have completed 29 credits of law school and be in academic good standing.
Students must self-identify as diverse. The Fellowship is intended to support members of groups that are historically underrepresented in the legal profession, particularly racial and ethnical minorities. However, the Committee may also consider cultural background, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, disability, tribal membership, and international background and experience.
Course description and requirements - Douglas County Legal Diversity Program (.pdf)
Stevens & Brand, L.L.P., was founded in 1925 by Richard Stevens and John W. Brand to find practical legal solutions for people and businesses. From their early days before the Great Depression through all the turbulent events of the last century – they’ve grown and prospered. Today, Stevens & Brand, L.L.P., continues to help its clients with all their legal needs by employing only the most respected attorneys with a broad range of experience.
Kansas Women Attorneys Association was founded in 1993 around the purposes of providing information to women seeking increased bar involvement, judicial positions, and professional development; and providing a structure around which their annual conference could be organized. The Kansas Women Attorneys Association works diligently to preserve and archive historical information pertaining to the female practice of law in Kansas.
Chahine Legal LLC is headed by a criminal defense lawyer, Hatem Chahine, a highly-acclaimed lawyer since 2001. Chahine specializes in the areas of law which include but are not limited to criminal defense, complex felony defense, misdemeanor defense, DUI, juvenile defense, domestic violence, and traffic citations. Recognized as a trusted Defense Attorney, he takes pride in providing expert legal services.
Polsinelli is intentional about creating a culture that aspires to bring out the best in all their professionals by allowing them to bring their creativity and passion for what they do into the Polsinelli environment. This has created an internal and external client service model that is second to none, a workplace that shows deep respect for each individual.
Joseph, Hollander & Craft LLC was founded by Stephen Joseph and Ross Hollander in 2001. The brothers-in-law sought to provide the Wichita community superior representation in civil and criminal litigation. Soon after, the family business expanded to Topeka, and Christopher Joseph (Steve's son and Ross's nephew) took the help as leader of the firm's north office. With a track record of successfully advising and representing their clients JHC continued to attract top-tier attorneys and broadened the reach of their services in additional locations. Today, JHC operates out of five offices that span two states.
Koprince McCall Pottrof LLC is a boutique law firm in Lawrence, Kansas that focuses exclusively on serving the unique legal needs of U.S. federal government contractors. Koprince McCall Potroff is a leader in the field - their attorneys have published multiple books on federal government contracts, speak regularly on the topic and have been featured guests on podcasts and quoted in numerous national publications. The firm also produces one of the most widely-read blogs in the field, SmallGovCon.
The Federal Bar Association is an organization committed to interests, education, and professional development of all federal court practitioners. Their events draw together government lawyers, in-house corporate counsel, and members of the federal judiciary.
Treviño Law Office, LLC offers immigration, employment, and criminal law services to the Lawrence, KS area.
The Trust Company is an independent, boutique wealth management and investment company founded in Manhattan, KS in 1992. Today they serve four communities: Manhattan, Lawrence and Marysville, Kansas and Columbia, Missouri.
Students Selected for Douglas County Legal Diversity Fellowship
LAWRENCE - Two University of Kansas School of Law students have been selected as the 2024-2025 fellows for the Douglas County Legal Diversity Fellowship. Nathan Felema and Rossiel Reyes, both second-year law students, will be working with local businesses in Douglas County during the upcoming academic year.
During this fellowship, Felema and Reyes will work to improve their understanding of a diverse body of legal practice and support the work of Stevens & Brand L.L.P., Kansas Holistic Defenders and the Kansas State Board of Indigents’ Defense Service.
“This fellowship is very important for the significance it carries in encouraging diverse legal students to aspire to reach positions and set goals that the history of the profession may not have wanted them to aim for,” Felema said. “I am excited for this upcoming school year and to really dive into new spaces of law and how to navigate them.”
Felema was born and raised in Seattle but hails from San Bernardino, California. Rossiel, from Great Bend, is co-president of the student ambassadors and is the secretary of the Hispanic American Law Student Association (HALSA) and a member of First Generation Professionals.
“As KU Law continues to recruit and accept a more diverse student body, it is equally essential to provide support and resources to ensure our success. For first-generation law students, our presence in the legal field comes with both a sense of pride and frustration as we navigate this confusing path,” Reyes said. “Our presence is necessary to combat the many biases in the legal field by offering different viewpoints gained from our lived experiences.”
The fellowship was created in collaboration with local law firms, businesses and courts in Douglas County. It is a yearlong paid internship for diverse KU Law students to do legal work with both a private and public employer in the county.
“We were honored to participate in the DCLDF last year and are excited to partner with KU Law again this year in this valuable program,” said Brad Finkeldei, Stevens & Brand L.L.P. managing partner. “This fellowship provides practical experience for law students from underrepresented populations, which we hope will foster a greater diversity of backgrounds, experiences and viewpoints in our local legal community.”
Questions?
Jamila E. Jefferson
Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging
Earl B. Shurtz Research Professor of Law
jefferson@ku.edu