The Sacramento County Bar Association's Summer Diversity Fellowship Program hosted its welcome lunch for this year's fifteen fellows at The Firehouse Restaurant in June. Now entering its 16th year, the Fellowship Program has successfully launched the legal career of many practitioners in the Sacramento legal community.

Back Row, left to right: Felix De La Torre, Natalie Moore, Kathleen Rojas, Khalida Hamid, Isauro Villarreal, Monika Saini, Linda Partmann. First Row, left to right, Clarissa E. Guerrero, Dana T. Hori, Susan Yoon, Andrew Schouten, Harjot Lasher, Kris H. Lin, Sarah Asplin. Not Pictured: David Pourati, Ryan Wells and Sophia Kwan

Sponsored by the University of the Pacific - McGeorge School of Law, University of California - Davis School of Law, and many of Sacramento's premier law firms, this year's fellowship program received 72 student applications. Each student was interviewed and evaluated on multiple factors such as minority or disadvantaged background status, relative need for the program, skills and professional demeanor, and desire to practice in the Sacramento area.

This program offers first year law students a ten-week paid clerkship with a host law firm and gives them insight into the inner workings of law firm practice early in the student's legal career. These students are introduced to local judges from both the federal and state bench, who the students will likely appear before when they enter practice. Students are also provided with hands-on writing and business development workshops.

"The program is directed at giving minority students exposure to Sacramento's legal community and practical experience in different areas of the law," said Ian Rambarran of Klinedinst PC, one of the program's lunch sponsors.

Sacramento County Bar's President, Jack Laufenberg, the keynote lunch speaker, spoke of the Bar's commitment to the students' success, as well as opportunities offered by the local bar. Felix De La Torre of Weinberg, Roger & Rosenfeld, a '97 fellow, spoke and encouraged the summer fellows to take advantage of this unique program and the opportunities that are presented.

Mr. De La Torre co-chairs the selection committee, along with Linda Partmann of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, LLP. Ms. Partmann indicated that two new law firms have committed to participating in the Fellowship Program next year: Olson, Hagel & Fishburn and Kleindinst, P.C.

A Certificate of Appreciation was presented to Jane Harrington, a '05 fellow, for her assistance in preparing a new color brochure to be used to recruit new law firms into the program.

Any firm that is interested in participating with this program may contact Linda Partmann at 916-329-7936.

September/October 2006