Friday, Eldredge & Clark, LLP is proud to announce the establishment of the Friday Forward Fellowship. The program was created by the firm’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee with the goal to increase the number of law school students from diverse backgrounds. Recognizing that diversity includes many human differences such as race, ethnicity, sexual and gender identity, military service, socioeconomic status, faith and beliefs, disability status, immigrant upbringing, and other conditions, we are committed to seeking out these populations in Arkansas colleges and universities to provide financial support and mentorship with the goal of inspiring a more diverse representation in the Arkansas legal profession.
The Friday Forward Fellowship will accept up to 10 students into the program each school year beginning in the spring of 2021. These “Friday Fellows” will be provided financial aid to attend an LSAT prep course and a personal mentorship with a firm attorney. Mentor attorneys will work with each Friday Fellow throughout their law school experience by providing advice and guidance to help Fellows succeed in school and in their legal career.
“We are very excited about the opportunities the Friday Forward Fellowship may provide to help facility access to our law schools and the legal profession and in mentoring future lawyers,” said Price C. Gardner, managing partner at Friday, Eldredge & Clark.
Friday Fellows will be selected by a committee comprised of attorneys and Arkansas law school administrators and/or faculty members. Applicants must be currently attending an Arkansas 4-year college or university, interested in the legal profession, and have an intent to take the LSAT in the summer or fall of 2021. For more information about the Friday Forward Fellowship Program or to apply, visit www.fridayfirm.com/fridayforward. Applications will be accepted through April 21, 2021.
The firm’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee was established several years ago to determine where we could improve and to define steps to accomplish change related to the diversity at the firm and in the Arkansas legal community. The committee meets regularly to assess needs, create objectives, and to set actionable goals to advance this commitment. The Friday Forward Fellowship Program is one result of the committee’s work and the firm’s commitment to the advancement of equity in our firm and community. Other local and national initiatives the firm supports includes:
- Charter Member of the Law Firm Antiracism Alliance
- Sponsor of Lawyers Beyond Siloes (UA Little Rock Bowen School of Law) & Summer Pre-Law Program (UA Law School)
- Educational programs offered to employees to increase awareness of diversity, equity and inclusion on social issues
To learn more about the Friday Forward Fellowship Program or the firm’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, visit www.fridayfirm.com/diversity.