CCBA Minority Job Fair: Students Information

The Cook County Bar Association (“CCBA”) is pleased to invite you to participate in the 42nd Annual CCBA Minority Law Student Job Fair (“Job Fair”). In an effort to keep the student-to-employer ratio as low as possible, we are only inviting JD students in the classes of 2027 (current 1Ls/rising 2Ls) and 2026 (current 2Ls/rising 3Ls). Please note that students graduating in any month prior to December 2025 (current 3Ls) are not eligible. All participating students must be from fully accredited law schools.  Students must also fall into one of the following categories:

• attend a law school ranked among the top 30 as determined by U.S. News and World Report, or
• attend law school at a historically black college or university, or
• attend a law school located in the Midwest as defined by the National Association for Law Placement (NALP); or
• be a fellow or associate of the Council on Legal Educational Opportunity (CLEO).

This year’s Job Fair will be held on Friday, June 6, 2025, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  Please note that the Job Fair will return to the Embassy Suites Chicago – Downtown/Lakefront located at 511 N. Columbus Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60611.  The Embassy Suites is located two blocks from Chicago’s Magnificent Mile shopping and entertainment district and is minutes from Navy Pier, Lake Michigan and several world-class museums.  The hotel’s large suites are conducive to conducting formal interviews, as the sleeping area is closed off while interviews are in progress. 

The Job Fair typically attracts more than 500 students from eligible US law schools.  Each year law firms, corporations, and governmental agencies register for the Job Fair.  These employers are located primarily in Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Washington D.C.  In addition, we have several employers registered from Colorado, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, and Nebraska.  For more information, please visit our website at www.ccbaminorityjobfair.org.

The Job Fair primarily is designed to obtain summer associate positions for rising 2Ls (current 1Ls) during their second summer in law school.  A limited number of employers also wish to interview rising 3Ls (current 2Ls) for entry-level associate positions.  Rising 3Ls please be aware that Job Fair interview slots for rising 2Ls typically outnumber those for rising 3Ls by a 4:1 ratio.

The Job Fair Committee adheres to the definition of “minority” provided by NALP, which includes students that are part of certain racial, ethnic, gender, and sexual orientation groups.  It is our policy that all students from eligible law schools may register for our event.  However, the employers registered for the Job Fair expect to be able to interview law students of color that are part of racial and ethnic minority groups.

Policy on Discrimination: The CCBA Job Fair Committee is committed to a policy against discrimination in employment based on age, sex, sexual preference, race, handicap, veteran status, or national origin.  Job Fair services are available only to those employers whose practices are in agreement with this policy.  By registering, law schools affirm their intent to comply with this policy.

During the last hour of the Job Fair we will be hosting an Open House Reception that will allow registered students to mingle with employers on an informal basis.  Students interested in a particular employer who did not receive a formal interview with that employer will be given the opportunity to meet that firm/organization’s representatives at the Open House Reception.

We will not have any sort of on-site matching process.  Instead, with the help of the Law School Career Services offices, we will keep the amount of “no shows” to a minimum except in the cases of extreme emergencies only.

Each registered law school’s career services office has provided us a contact person who will serve as that school’s Job Fair Liaison.  Students, your Job Fair Liaison will be the point person that should serve as your primary informational resource for our Job Fair.  Additionally, Job Fair Liaisons will be called upon to verify each student’s class year and graduation date once student registration closes.  If you are unsure about your eligibility, please first ask your school’s Job Fair Liaison.

Student Registration is open now until March 16, 2025 at 11:59 PM CST.   You must adhere to our registration process as listed herein.  Registration for the Job Fair is mandatory; absolutely no “walk-ins” will be allowed to participate.  Registration for the Job Fair must be completed electronically through Symplicity, an internet matching program.