Gregoire Fellows Program

The Gregoire Fellows Program recognizes students for their academic and professional achievements, unique perspectives and experiences, and leadership potential to diversify the legal profession in Washington. The program is named in honor of former Washington State Governor Christine Gregoire.

Fellows spend the summer following their first year clerking at both a major corporate law firm and either a Seattle-based corporation or government agency.

About the Program

The Gregoire Fellows Program began in 2015 with the goal of bringing greater diversity to the legal profession, particularly in the state of Washington, and to the law student population at the University of Washington School of Law.

In addition to summer employment, Gregoire Fellows receive:

UW School of Law scholarship
$20,000 first-year summer stipend
Mentorship from former Washington State Governor Christine Gregoire and members of the Seattle legal community
$5,000 bar exam study scholarship

Infographic: There have been 39 fellows and 18 sponsors since 2015.

Fellows Leverage Their Experience Into Employment

With the graduation of the Class of 2018, the inaugural cohort has completed the program and entered the workforce. Although the sample size is admittedly small, data shows that inaugural fellows graduate, are admitted to practice, and are employed at higher rates than their non-fellow peers. Importantly, the inaugural fellow class also secured employment more quickly than their non-fellow peers.

Improving Professional Development & Job Search Strategy

The program provides fellows with community-building, networking, and foundational industry knowledge. This includes fellow mentoring groups comprised of one fellow from each class year (i.e., 1L, 2L, 3L) matched based on practice areas of interest and background. First-year fellows receive additional training about the legal industry and interviewing best practices with a mock interview program. Speed networking events also facilitate in-depth engagement between sponsors and fellows.

The Fellowship Is an Important Factor in School Selection

The Gregoire Fellows Program is an important tool to increase diversity in the legal community at UW Law and in the state of Washington. Prospective students value the program, with 83% of surveyed fellows indicating that the Gregoire Fellows Program was a major or influential factor in their decision to attend UW Law.