Last semester, John Marshall Law School student Caroline Kim attended “The New Engine of Growth in Asia Conference: Investment and Technology” in Seoul, South Korea — a once-in-a-lifetime networking opportunity for a law student. Kim did this as a recipient of John Marshall’s Professional Development Fund, and she’s not alone.
John Marshall’s Professional Development Fund provides a way for students to seek reimbursement for travel and other expenses to attend law-related conferences and leadership programs not offered on campus. Launched in Fall 2017, the Professional Development Fund has sent 35 students around the world in pursuit of additional law-related opportunities. In addition to Kim’s trip to South Korea, students have attended the IP & Innovation Researchers of Asia Conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; the Black Entertainment and Sports Lawyers Association Annual Conference in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico; the Hispanic National Bar Association Annual Convention in Philadelphia; the Global Congress on Intellectual Property and the Public Interest in Washington D.C.; the National Lawyers Guild’s #Law4thePeople Convention in Portland, Ore.; and more.
Past recipients have turned their experiences into greater success. Third-year student Faith Harris parlayed her participation in the Black Entertainment & Sports Lawyers Association’s Annual Conference in Jamaica into a prestigious internship with Viacom Media. Harris is now completing her last semester at UCLA to advance her dream of working in the entertainment law industry
To qualify for reimbursement, students must submit information about the professional activity, budget information and a personal statement about how the activity is likely to impact the student’s professional development. Priority is given to students presenting at or serving on planning committees for conferences, engaging in pro bono or leadership projects, and interviewing for federal or state supreme court judicial clerkships more than 150 miles from campus.
