About Us

The Cook County Bar Association established the first Minority Law Student Job Fair twenty-five years ago after recognizing the need in the Chicago legal community for job search assistance for law students of color. The Cook County Bar Association is an affiliate chapter of the National Bar Association and is the oldest association of African-American lawyers and judges in the United States. In the mid 1990's, the Cook County Bar Association briefly partnered with the Chicago Committee On Minorities In Large Law Firms to coordinate and host this event. The CCBA Minority Law Student Job Fair Committee now consists of dedicated, young Cook County Bar Association members and volunteers from the recruiting staffs of large Chicago law firms that have demonstrated their long-standing commitment to diversity.

The objective of the Minority Job Fair remains unchanged - to recruit the brightest talent amongst minority law students and match them with employers (law firms, corporations, government agencies, and public interest agencies) that truly value diversity.

This year marks the 25th Anniversary of the Minority Law Student Job Fair. Last year, the Job Fair attracted an unprecedented 157 employers, 700 registered law students, and 61 law school participants. This year's event is open to law students in the classes of 2010 and 2009 (rising 2Ls and rising 3Ls) from fully accredited law schools ranked among the top 30 as determined by U.S. News and World Report, law schools at historically Black colleges and universities, and law schools located in the Midwest as defined by the National Association for Law Placement (NALP). Additionally, students in the classes of 2010 and 2009 that currently are fellows or associates of the Council on Legal Educational Opportunity (CLEO) program are eligible to attend.

For more information about the Cook Bar Association, please see www.cookcountybar.org.