Summer Diversity Internship Program continues into third year

The St. Louis Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) has announced the return of the Summer Diversity Internship Program, sponsored by Williams Venker & Sanders of St. Louis.

The program, now in its third year, awards five law students with diverse backgrounds an internship at a corporate legal department where they will learn the skills necessary to succeed in the legal profession. In addition to exposing law students to the opportunities available in the business field, the program also strives to further initiatives aimed at making in-house legal departments more racially and ethnically diverse.

“Now in its third year, the ACC-St. Louis Summer Diversity Internship program has proven to be a great way to introduce diverse law students to the realities of the practice of law and life in a corporate legal department in a way that cannot be taught in the classroom,”, remarked ," said program chairperson Kristol Whatley.

“There is a continuous challenge facing the legal community to attract and retain diverse talent, and the St. Louis Chapter of the ACC is pleased to help overcome that challenge by providing this opportunity to our member companies and law students.”

Corporations taking part in the St. Louis ACC’s Summer Diversity Internship program are:

- Bunge North America
- SSM Healthcare
- Missouri American Water
- Sigma Aldrich
- UniGroup

Williams Venker & Sanders hosted a reception on May 29 for the students and their mentors at the firm’s headquarters.

About the ACC:

The Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) is a global bar association for in-house counsel. The St. Louis chapter of the group, which was awarded ACC Chapter of the Year in 2012, includes more than 500 members and serves in-house counsel in St. Louis and southern Illinois.