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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowFrom bachelor’s degree to J.D. to a job, Indiana University Maurer School of Law is providing a smooth transition for talented undergraduates interested in finance and the law.
The Bloomington law school has announced a partnership with Chapman and Cutler LLP to give students hands-on experience and an opportunity for employment. As part of the Chapman’s two-year finance law development program, IU graduates will work at the national law firm, then can enroll at IU Maurer and, after graduation, be considered for a full-time position at Chapman and Cutler.
The program will initially be based in Chapman’s Chicago office.
“Through this partnership, the goal is to provide accomplished college graduates not only unparalleled training but a cost-effective pathway to law school and the legal profession,” said IU Maurer Dean Austen Parrish.
The program will begin with a four-week boot camp to introduce the program’s participants to a range of topics including financing structures, drafting skills, applied legal technology and negotiations. After the introductory segment, the participants will relocate to Chicago where they will work side-by-side with attorney teams on substantive legal projects throughout the Chapman firm.
Selected participants will receive a salary and benefits during the two-year program. Also, IU Maurer faculty and alumni will serve as mentors.
Qualified participants who complete the program will then be eligible for designation as Chapman Law Fellows with the opportunity to apply to IU Maurer.
The fellows will be provided with significant financial support. The law school will grant those who meet certain undergraduate GPA and LSAT benchmarks a scholarship. Chapman will give each fellow an interest-free loan to apply toward housing and summer employment after their first and second years.
In law school, the participants will be free to take the courses they wish after the first year. However, they will likely be encouraged to focus on mergers and acquisitions and corporate finance.
Fellows who satisfactorily complete their law school education will be eligible for an offer to join Chapman.
Overall financial support for a student who completes the two-year rotational program and is selected for and successfully completes the law fellowship may exceed $200,000.
“We saw a need in today’s challenging job market to give potential law students the opportunity to learn first-hand about what a lawyer does and how a law firm functions before making the significant commitment to go to law school,” said Tim Mohan, chief executive partner at Chapman and Cutler. “Successful completion of the program also means the opportunity to go to a first-rate law school with substantial financial assistance and a potential job waiting at a firm with people and a practice that they know well.”
Parrish said the program was unique and unlike anything offered elsewhere.
“The program provides tremendous support for college graduates interested in law and finance,” Parrish said. “It will enable the firm to identify potential future successful attorneys, while preparing them for success in law school and beyond.”
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