Selection Criteria
The PAJ Diverse Mentoring Initiative (DMI) is a summer associate program that pairs diverse first-year law students with top Plaintiff firms
in Pennsylvania. The DMI program is intended for law students who meet one or more of the following criteria: those who have faced
challenges including, but not limited to, life situations in which their opportunities were diminished significantly by factors beyond their control,
such as socio-economic status, discrimination, sparse academic resources or opportunities, and/or other similar adverse circumstances on
their path to a legal career.
- DMI Mentees will receive the same salary other first-year summer associates/clerks/interns (if any) are paid by the organization.
- Each participating employer has committed to fully involve DMI Mentees in its summer associate/clerkship/internship program (if any) and provide appropriate and continuous feedback and training.
- Each participating employer will provide its Mentee with at least one mentor and possibly more if that is the practice for its summer associates/clerks.
- DMI Mentees will have access to programs specially designed to help you become a successful lawyer in any organization including:
- Summer receptions with DMI Mentees, present and former, PAJ, PTLA, NEPA & WPTLA Board representatives, law firm hiring partners, managing partners, diversity officers, and affinity bar association leaders, the judiciary and others.
- Seminars to build an understanding of:
- the general expectations of the employers;
- the nature of the work;
- the environment in which it gets done;
- the best ways to manage their work, deal with any issues that arise and make use of feedback;
- the mechanics of successful networking from informative but brief introductions through graceful good-byes, follow-up, and
staying in touch;
—all the underpinnings of a successful summer.
Application Requirements
If you are not sure if you meet the above criteria, we encourage you to apply anyway. DMI is open to anyone who has a unique perspective and experience to offer to the plaintiffs bar.
You will need to provide the following documents in your application
(Please submit all documents as PDFs by January 26, 2026.):
- Current Resume
- Copy of your complete undergraduate and graduate (if applicable) school transcripts
- Copy of your law school transcript that includes Fall 2025 grades (If your final Fall 2025 transcript is unavailable at the time of application, please only email your undergraduate transcript.)*
- A 1L writing sample: a copy of your final first-semester legal memorandum
- A brief personal explanation of how you meet the criteria for the program (~ 500 words): your essay should include two separate sections: (1) describe how you meet the criteria for the PAJ DMI program. If your eligibility depends on being part of a group underrepresented in the legal profession, please tell us which underrepresented group. If your eligibility depends on having overcome obstacles or coming from a disadvantaged background, please explain how you have overcome the obstacles or disadvantages. If you fit more than one category, please discuss both. (2) Describe your interest in practicing in Pennsylvania and in the plaintiffs bar, and why you would like to participate in the PAJ DMI program.
- Optional: if you feel your 1L grades are not representative of your full academic potential or, if you faced significant hardship that impacted your 1L performance in a negative way that you would like the committee to be aware of, you may briefly describe the circumstances in a separate essay (250-500 words).
Accepting Applications December 1, 2025 - January 26, 2026
APPLICATION CLOSED
*If you do not have your law school transcript when you initially apply, you may submit your law school transcript separately to dmi@pajustice.org by January 26, 2026. Please title the subject of this email: Last Name, First Name, Transcript.
Questions? Check the FAQ section here.
