Inclusive Recruitment

Keith Wetmore 1L Fellowship for Excellence, Diversity, and Inclusion

Now it its tenth year, the Keith Wetmore 1L Fellowship for Excellence, Diversity, and Inclusion program recognizes and supports the career advancement of highly motivated first-year law students who are members of historically underrepresented groups in the legal industry. The fellowship is named after chair emeritus Keith Wetmore, in honor of his dedication and commitment to diversity and inclusion, both within the firm and in the legal profession.

The program provides outstanding law students who have demonstrated academic excellence, leadership, and community involvement with the opportunity to see, experience, and benefit from working with talented colleagues.

As part of the summer associate program’s regional training, the Fellows also attend Unconscious Bias training, and a Spotlight on D+I program, giving them the opportunity to engage in an activity and discussion around the firm’s D+I programs and initiatives. Along with summer associate positions, the incoming Fellows receive ongoing mentoring and a stipend. Fellows also meet regularly with the D+I team throughout the summer.

Each year, Fellows are selected from a competitive pool of applicants and are invited to join the firm as summer associates. The fellowship program provides training and mentorship opportunities critical to professional development. Upon successful completion of the fellowship, Fellows have the option to return as second-year summer associates.

To date, we have awarded 93 fellowships.

Additional information about the program and other 1L opportunities can be found on our careers website.

Read an overview of the 2021 Wetmore Fellowship program.

Summers’ and Fellows’ Spotlight: Q&A with MoFo Wetmore Fellow Jamis Barcott

We recently sat down with MoFo Wetmore fellow, Jamis Barcott, to learn more about his personal journey into the legal profession, as well as his experience here at MoFo as a summer Wetmore fellow. MoFo’s 1L Wetmore Fellowship recognizes and supports the career development of promising law students of color, as well as LGBT law students. Fellows are selected from a highly competitive pool of applicants from the top law schools in the United States. Since 2012, the firm has awarded 57 fellowships.

Read about Jamis’ experience as a summer Wetmore fellow

MoFo: Tell me about yourself. Where are you from, and what drove you to go to law school?

JB: I grew up on the Tulalip Indian Reservation [in Washington State]. I decided I wanted to go to law school from a very young age. On the reservation there weren’t too many professionals, and I wanted to be like the lawyers with the nice cars [jokes Mr. Barcott] who I would see off the reservation driving around out in the community.

In terms of college, I decided to go to UCLA because I heard they had a very strong Indian program. On the reservation it’s a small community of people similar to a small town, and there’s more of an emphasis on cultural values. Instead of studying math, for example, the elders would tell stories about myths and legends, and it provided a different perspective. It gave me much more of a community-driven perspective. I was taught from a young age that community comes first and your own personal success is limited by how you affect others. I decided I wanted to go into the legal profession because I wanted to be in a position to give back the skills I had learned as a student.

MoFo: What attracted you to MoFo and the Wetmore Fellowship?

JB: Firstly, MoFo is one of the first firms that comes up when you search for 1L diversity fellowships online, and I also noticed on MoFo’s website there were several booklets and web pieces (with information about the firm’s diversity, LGBTQ+, and women’s programs and initiatives) and it meant a lot to see that the firm is very committed to diversity. I had the opportunity to meet with MoFo class actions partner and Diversity Strategy Committee (DSC) co-chair Purvi Patel and other leaders in the firm, and I felt like they weren’t just paying me lip service about the firm’s programs. They made me feel valued.

MoFo: Tell me about the Diversity Summit you recently attended.

JB: My favorite part of the Diversity Summit was getting to meet other diverse lawyers from across the firm. It’s nice to meet cross-office associates, and fellow diverse associates who work abroad. It was great to hear their unique perspectives and experiences, and it’s gratifying to be able to have a broader community that expands past the four walls of the office you work in every day.

MoFo: What was most impactful about the Summit?

JB: I really enjoyed liaising with other diverse associates from across MoFo’s global network, and there were also some diverse clients at the event and it was great to be able to have that interaction with them.

MoFo: How did you first hear about the Indian Law Resource Center (ILRC) charity, which you presented on at the Summit?

JB: I first heard about the ILRC charity at UCLA. I heard about the issues it takes on, such as violence against indigenous women, through my professors at UCLA. I learned that the incidences of child abuse, and women’s abuse, in tribal lands was just horrible. The issue led me to the organization. My understanding is the charity played a big role in getting the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 passed and signed into law. The law is designed to protect Native American women from domestic violence and keep people accountable for their actions.

MoFo: Why is this charity important to you?

JB: These issues are near and dear to my heart, because they reflect some of my own personal experiences that I had in my community, and I wanted to do something about them.

MoFo: Are you involved in any other initiatives? Do you have plans for future advocacy or pro bono work?

JB: Yes, I would definitely be interested in Indian law advocacy, and that was what attracted me to MoFo — its pro bono work in this area.

Sponsors for Educational Opportunity Program

Since 2008, we have sponsored a group of pre-law interns through the Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO) program. SEO provides educational and career programs to students from underrepresented communities to ensure their professional success.

The pre-law interns who join us as SEO Fellows are included in our summer associate program. To date, 57 students have participated in the program over the years.

Diversity + Inclusion Road Show

We love to hear from our law students about their interests and aspirations long before the formal interview process. Each spring, our diverse, LGBTQ+, and women MoFo lawyers visit schools throughout the U.S. to engage with students and share why they chose MoFo’s inclusive platform for their practice.

Lavender Law Conference + Career Fair

The Lavender Law Conference + Career Fair, started in 1988, is the largest LGBTQ+ legal conference in the country. MoFo is a proud supporter of the conference and has participated in the interview program every year.