Law Students

Best Best & Krieger LLP is committed to recruiting, hiring, developing, promoting, and retaining attorneys and staff from a wide range of backgrounds. The value for our clients comes from the melding of differing experiences, cultures, talents, viewpoints, and styles to drive creative and innovative solutions. This range of perspectives allows us to approach complex legal issues in a way that provides the best outcome for our clients.

With these goals in mind, BBK is pleased to offer our First Year Law Student Fellowship/Scholarship Program. This Program will provide the recipient with a paid summer associate position in one of our participating offices: Irvine, Los Angeles, Ontario, Riverside, and San Diego. To qualify for the $10,000 scholarship, the recipient must be invited by BBK to return the following summer, and the recipient must return for the following summer. The $10,000 scholarship will be paid following completion of the student’s second summer with the firm.

Description. The BBK First Year Law Student Fellowship/Scholarship Program is open to all first year law students enrolled and in good standing at an ABA accredited law school. Students who demonstrate the potential to become an outstanding attorney at BBK are invited to apply. The successful candidate will be selected based on academic, personal, and professional achievement.

Consistent with BBK’s long‑standing service to public agencies and communities, this Program emphasizes a commitment to public service and an interest in public agency law. Fellows will gain hands‑on experience collaborating with attorneys who represent cities, counties, special districts and other public entities on issues that directly impact the public.

Fellowship/Scholarship Selection Criteria. The recipient of the 2026 BBK First Year Law Student Fellowship/Scholarship will be selected based on the following criteria:

• Enrolled as a full-time first year law student at the time of application and able to work in one of our participating offices; 
• Demonstrates qualities such as perseverance, leadership, community engagement, or unique perspectives gained through life experience;
• Outstanding undergraduate and law school academic achievement that evidences potential for success in the remaining years of law school and as a practicing attorney;
• A demonstrated commitment to public service and a clear intent to practice public agency law - through prior work, internships, volunteer or civic engagement, coursework, or a well‑articulated career plan;
• Meaningful record of contribution to the law school and/or local community (e.g., leadership, service, mentoring) and likelihood to make similar impacts in the legal community upon entering the practice of law;
• A personal statement and record showing how the applicant’s unique background and experiences will contribute to BBK’s work and to the legal profession, especially in service to public sector clients and the communities they serve;
• A demonstrated interest in practicing law after graduation in the area in which the recipient is based during the 2026 Fellowship/Scholarship Program;
• To qualify for the $10,000 academic scholarship, the recipient must be invited by BBK and must return to the firm for a second year summer program in 2027. The $10,000 scholarship will be paid to either the law school or the student following completion of the student’s second summer with BBK; and 
• Student cannot be a recipient of a 1L fellowship award from another law firm for the same time period.
  

Please Note: We do not have any openings for first-year law students outside of this Fellowship/Scholarship Program. If you do not meet the Program’s eligibility requirements, we encourage you to apply during your school’s Early Interview Week or through our online job posting for 2L Summer Associate positions when we begin second year law student recruitment.

Application Process. BBK will accept applications from first year law students from December 1, 2025 through January 30, 2026. Applications must be received no later than the January 30, 2026 deadline to be considered. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and we highly encourage students to apply as early as possible. Interviews and offers of select applicants may take place in December 2025 and January 2026, and a final decision will be made no later than the end of February 2026.

Interested students must submit the following materials no later than January 30, 2026:

• Completed online application form; 
• Current resume; 
• One page personal statement describing how your background, experiences, or community engagement have shaped your perspective and why you should be considered for this Program;  
• Law school and undergraduate transcripts – if you are submitting your application before your first semester grades are available, you may submit your application online and email your transcripts separately to Zarina.Jurlin@bbklaw.com;
• One legal writing sample that has not been edited by anyone, except the applicant;
• Up to two letters of recommendation (optional); and 
• Up to three professional or academic references (optional).
• Application materials will not be considered unless submitted in their entirety and received by the above deadline. Qualified applicants are invited to apply online ONLY via our website at www.bbklaw.com, “Careers”, “Law Students”. Applicants must prepare their personal statement entirely without the use of artificial intelligence tools. If you have any questions, please contact Zarina Jurlin, Legal Recruiting Manager, at Zarina.Jurlin@bbklaw.com.

The expected pay scale for a 1L Summer Associate is $2,300 per week.

Deadline: Jan. 30, 2026

Apply Here

Best Best & Krieger LLP is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Our eight-week summer program provides law students with a representative sampling of our firm’s diverse practice areas and a chance to experience what it means to be a BBK attorney. Summer associates are given real work assignments that provide the opportunity to sharpen research and writing skills, solve problems for clients, learn from mentors and peers, and develop a greater understanding of how legal work can shape and impact our communities.

Our summer program will provide exposure to:

• Diverse Practice Areas: Gain insight into our environmental and natural resources, labor and employment, business transactions, public finance, telecommunications, real estate, transportation and public infrastructure practices and the unique intersection of these issues and others facing our municipal, special district, and private sector clients.
• Professional Development Trainings: Participate in sessions focused on best writing practices, effective and efficient legal research techniques, law firm finances, fostering culture and community, cultivating professionalism, partnership advancement and marketing.
• Engaging Client Opportunities: Attend city council and public agency meetings, court hearings, site visits, board meetings, mediations, and depositions alongside BBK attorneys.
• Connection and Firm Culture: Get to know our attorneys and firm culture during social events such as cooking classes, trivia nights, community service activities, recreational outings, art classes, and sporting events.

Individualized Experience & Feedback

• Mentorship: Every summer associate is matched with two dedicated mentors to assist with integration into the firm’s practices, answer questions, and help make connections.
• Diverse Work Experience: Our open work assignment system provides exposure to our various practice areas and allows summer associates to work with different attorneys across the firm’s office locations and practice groups.
• Constructive Feedback & Mid-Summer Review: Receive insight on work product and professional development throughout the summer and at an individualized, in-depth mid-summer review.
• Build Toward a Fulfilling Career: Opportunity to rank interest in BBK practice areas at both the start and conclusion of the summer program to ensure firm placement aligns with summer associate preference.

The application period for our 2026 2L Summer Associate Program is closed. The 2027 application will open in early 2026.