Firm Hosts Clerkship Panel with UMKC Black Law Students Association
On September 29, 2022, the firm hosted a panel of judges and clerks to speak to local law students about judicial clerkships and internships. The firm partnered with the Black Law Students Association at UMKC School of Law, with support from other student organizations including the Latinx Law Students Association, Asian & Pacific Islanders Association, Association for Women Law Students, and Outlaws (LGBTQIA+), to make this night happen.
The panel included Judge Lisa Hardwick of the Missouri Court of Appeals; Judge Janette Rodecap of the 16th Circuit Court in Jackson County; Amy Henson, career clerk for Magistrate Judge Angel D. Mitchell on the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas; and Jasmine Ward, a current Berkowitz Oliver associate who recently completed her clerkship with Judge Fernando Gaitan of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri.
Megan Costello, a partner at Berkowitz Oliver (and a former judicial clerk herself) moderated the discussion, which covered what types of work clerks and interns do, how students can connect with those opportunities, and why it matters to increase diversity and representation in the courthouse.
Stacey Gilman, a Berkowitz Oliver partner who also helped coordinate the event, remarked “BLSA told us there was a need: talented and promising students weren’t aware of all the great opportunities they have to get the experience and mentorship of working with judges. When we started talking to judges, we were met with great enthusiasm about diversifying their pool of applicants. This panel helped bring those groups together.”
