Pitt Law's "K&L Gates Diversity Fellowship" Forum

[Irtysh]

Does anyone know anything about this?

I got an email from Pitt Law school that reads as follows:

"I’m William M. Carter Jr., Dean of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. You are a student who has demonstrated exceptional ability and talent that well prepares you for the rigors of a Pitt Law education. I'd like to invite you to apply to our school in order to be considered for a special opportunity Pitt Law offers to students of your caliber: the K&L Gates Diversity Fellowship.

The K&L Gates Diversity Fellowship supports a full-tuition scholarship for an entering student at Pitt Law for all three years of law school and, perhaps even most important to your long-term career, a paid summer associate position at K&L Gates in the student's first and second summers of law school. We are one of the very few schools nationally to offer a partnership of this kind, which combines a full scholarship with paid real-world experience at one of the world’s most prominent global law firms."

I would normally never ever consider a school like Pitt, but a guaranteed summer associate position at a V40 firm? Am I reading this right? What's the catch, the fact that you would have no mobility with a Pitt Law degree?

I'm from Pittsburgh, and turned down a full ride at Pitt for a T14. I'd definitely consider this, but there are some drawbacks. K&L notoriously no offers summer. They'd probably give you both summers, but there is a very high probability you wouldn't receive full time employment if you are not law review. If you don't receive an offer and are not law review good luck getting a biglaw job in the Pgh market--most firms here really don't care enough about diversity to drop below law review for a URM.

Let's say you do end up with a full time offer. K&L's health has been questioned for some time. There are rumors that they may not even be around for much longer. And the rest of the biglaw firms in Pittsburgh are not really thriving like they used to. The Cohens of the world have been undercutting the large firms here because their rates are lower. There is also a chance that you would be stuck in Pittsburgh with little to know experience, and would have to draw upon your law school grades, which will matter for a few years after graduation. Just my thoughts.

Maybe it's suitable for you who have a probable LSAT score of upper 160s. If I get 161, is it pays?