Law Student Support

The Law Student Support Program strives to support law students who are interested in promoting diversity and inclusion in the legal community through a variety of activities and programs. We are committed to this next generation of lawyers and offer our support and advice through mentoring, professional development, networking, and social events in the Pittsburgh community and at local law schools. A dedicated cross-functional working group of volunteers meets monthly to determine programming and initiatives to recruit, retain, and include law students in our Pittsburgh legal community. The PLDIC’s program is open to all law students interested in promoting the diversity of the local legal community. If you are interested in joining the working group, please reach out to Ena.

View Upcoming Events for Law Students

Mentoring

  • The 2026 PLDIC Law Student Mentoring Program is underway! We have lots of eager and interested law students seeking attorney mentors. If you are interested in being a mentor, please fill out this form at your earliest convenience. The time commitment is what you make of it – but we encourage pairs to try to meet virtually or in person approximately once a month.
  • Law students, if you would like to be matched with a mentor, please fill out this form at your earliest convenience.
  • Once again, law students working in Pittsburgh during summer 2025 were invited to attend the 2026 Law Student Kickoff to Summer Event. This event gives law students the opportunity to build their peer mentoring network and meet with PLDIC leadership.
  • Mentors and mentees were also invited to attend a casual meet up gathering on July 29 at Social House 7.

  • In 2025, the PLDIC Law Student Mentoring Program matched over 40 pairs of mentors and mentees.
  • Once again, in partnership with the ACBA’s YLD Diversity Committee, law students working in Pittsburgh during summer 2025 were invited to attend the 2025 Law Student Kickoff to Summer Event. This event gives law students the opportunity to build their peer mentoring network and meet with PLDIC and ACBA leadership.

  • In 2024, the PLDIC Mentoring Program pivoted to provide law students the opportunity to opt in to receive a mentor and/or sign up for a mock interview. We are thrilled to have 12 mentor/mentee matches and seven mock interview matches. 
  • The 2024 program kicked off at the 2024 Diverse Law Student Kickoff to Summer Event on May 30 at Standard Market & Pint. The event was targeted toward law students working in Pittsburgh for the summer who identify as diverse. Attendees representing five local law schools (including students set to work at eight different PLDIC member organizations) connected with other summer law clerks and signed up for mentors. They also had a chance to meet with lawyers on the PLDIC Board, YPAB, Law Student Support Working Group, YLD Diversity Committee, and the ACBA. View event photos.

  • The PLDIC, in partnership with the Allegheny County Bar Association, University of Pittsburgh School of Law, Thomas R. Kline School of Law of Duquesne University, and the Pittsburgh Black Lawyers Alliance, relaunched the 2L/3L Mentoring Program for 2023-2024. 
  • All participants in the 2023 ACBA 1L Summer Clerkship program were automatically enrolled in the 2L/3L Mentoring Program. Additionally, a select number of mentees were 2022-2023 program participants. All selected mentees received a one-year student membership to the ACBA sponsored by the PLDIC. 
  • Overall, we had over 50 mentor/mentee matches. Leveraging our partnership with the ACBA, mentors and mentees were able to participate in a variety of events: 
    • Kickoff Event: Our kickoff event was held on June 1 at 5:30 p.m. at Emerald City. View event photos. 
    • All Affinity Happy Hour: Program participants attended this ACBA happy hour at Café Momentum on June 29. View event photos. 
    • SCP Community Service Event: Mentors joined their mentees at Global Links on July 15 for a community service event. View event photos. 
    • SCP Night at the Theater: Mentees and Mentors attended a reception at Fogo de Chao on July 28, followed by the performance of Once on This Island at the Benedum. View event photos. 
    • PLDIC Family Picnic:  PLDIC’s Community Building Committee and the 2L/3L Mentoring Program held our first ever PLDIC Family Picnic on August 26. View event photos. 
    • Diverse Law Students Reception: Mentors joined mentees at the ACBA’s Diverse Law Students Reception on September 21 between 5-8 p.m. presented by the YLD Diversity Committee. View event photos.

  • PLDIC launched our first-ever 2L/3L Mentoring Program in fall 2022 at a kickoff event at City of Asylum. This innovative program, designed in partnership with law students, provided mentoring pods, office hours to learn from other mentors, a Slack account, and opportunities to network amongst mentors and mentees. 
  • We created nine mentoring pods with approximately four mentors and four mentees in each group.  

Professional Development

  • In 2026, the PLDIC held the First Year Law Student Speed Networking event for 1Ls interested in promoting diversity and inclusion in the Pittsburgh legal community. With over 70 participants, including 17 employers and 35 students, the evening included nine rounds of speed networking with a total of 140 meetings! The event gave first year law students an opportunity to meet with PLDIC member organizations who have available 2026 and/or 2027 summer law clerk or internship positions for law students. Check out scenes from our 2024 and 2025 events.

  • The PLDIC regularly visits local law schools to speak with students and share advice about networking, interviews, mentoring, and more. 
  • Look for PLDIC at Pitt Law and Duquesne Kline Law during the 2025-26 school year! 
  • If you are an alum looking for a way to give back and would like to participate in a Power of Networking panel, please contact Ena.