Boston College Law School students make up half of this year’s Boston Bar Association Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Summer Fellowship placements. The program provides law students from historically underrepresented backgrounds with access to critical work experience through paid summer internships in public service.
The BBA doubled the size of the program this year from three positions to six, and BC Law 1L’s Jessie Baek, Dhairya Bhatia, and Travis Salters were among the awardees.
Funding for the $5,000 fellowships is provided by the Boston Bar Foundation (BBF), and the position at the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination is sponsored by the law firm Pierce Atwood.
In the announcement on the BBA’s website, the recipients provided the following statements about their upcoming summer placements:
Dhairya Bhatia ’23, who is a BC Law Public Service Scholar, will work in US Bankruptcy Court. “My involvement with grassroots organizations has galvanized my desire to be a public interest lawyer,” he said. “I hope to develop that passion with an internship in bankruptcy court because I recognize how powerful bankruptcy law is for low-income people.”
Jessie Baek ’23 said of her fellowship with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, “Though I am new to Boston, I am eager to root myself in this diverse city by beginning my legal career here upon graduation. Through this internship, I hope to gain practical lawyering skills while furthering anti-discrimination work in Massachusetts.”
Travis Salters ’23 will be a fellow in the Office of the Massachusetts Attorney General. “I know this fellowship will be a significant part of my journey to becoming a practicing attorney in Boston,” he said. “It will expose me to the legal system to gain a better understanding of how to positively impact systems for the underserved communities.”
Photo by Caitlin Cunningham