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Spelman College Pre-Law Internship

In 2021, Kostelanetz LLP expanded its Pre-Law Paralegal Program for high-achieving college graduates with the inauguration of an internship for pre-law undergraduates at Spelman College. Spelman College is a historically Black liberal arts college for women located in Atlanta, Georgia, known for its academic rigor and rich history as the No. 1 ranked Historically Black College and University (HBCU).  The internship is designed to ensure that our clients benefit from the extraordinary talent available at Spelman, while simultaneously promoting diversity and inclusion in the legal profession and the tax law bar.

Our Spelman internship program offers a paid internship (at $38.46 per hour) to a Spelman student interested in joining Kostelanetz as a full-time pre-law paralegal for the summer.  Following graduation from Spelman and completion of the internship, students are typically offered a position as a full-time, pre-law paralegal, with the option to spend one or two years with the firm prior to enrolling in law school.

Spelman interns benefit from a robust, hands-on program including mentorship at the paralegal, associate, and partner levels; 1L and LSAT -prep resources provided by our attorneys, paralegals, and staff; opportunities to write for prestigious legal journals; and more. Internship responsibilities include case management, legal research, document review, legal and litigation support, interfacing with clients, as well as administrative work, under attorney supervision.

While not all Spelman interns may pursue a path in one of our practice areas, such as tax law, one of our goals is to help pre-law students understand the various paths available to them, including policymaking, government service, private practice, accounting, and teaching, among others.

Our application period for Summer 2024 is now closed. Those interested in the internship should contact recruiting@kostelanetz.com with any questions.


Applicant requirements* 

  • Rising senior (current junior) currently enrolled at Spelman College 
  • Minimum 3.6 GPA
  • Outstanding academic credentials with strong writing, communication, and organizational skills
  • Multi-task oriented, friendly, and capable of working well with others
  • Exceptional computer skills – proficiency in Microsoft Office and Excel a plus

*We particularly welcome members of the Morehouse-Spelman Pre-Law Society.


We’re proud of our Spelman Internship alumni, which include:

  • Destiny Reese, who joined the firm as its first Spelman intern in the Spring of 2021 and was hired as a full-time Paralegal after graduating summa cum laude from Spelman in May 2021 with a B.A. in English with a concentration in writing. She left the firm in 2022 to attend Emory University School of Law and now serves as a Law Clerk with the firm.
  • Grace Hall, who joined the firm in the Spring of 2022 and graduated summa cum laude from Spelman in May 2022 with a B.A. in Political Science and a Minor in Writing.  She left the firm in 2022 to attend the University of Virginia Law School and will be returning as a 2024 Summer Associate.
  • Kennedy Mackey, who joined the firm in the Summer of 2022 after graduating magna cum laude from Spelman with a B.A. in Political Science and a Minor in Philosophy. She left the firm in 2022 to attend Harvard Law School.
  • Nadya Lopez, who joined the firm as a Spring 2023 intern, after graduating summa cum laude from Spelman with a B.A. in Political Science and a Minor in English. She currently is a full-time Paralegal.
  • Melina Watson, who joined the firm as a Spring 2023 intern, after graduating summa cum laude from Spelman with a B.A. in Philosophy and a Minor in Political. She currently is a full-time Paralegal.


The firm’s Spelman Summer Internship program is administered by Kostelanetz lawyer Daniel Cady Davidson (whose suggestion to the firm in 2020 was the inspiration behind the program), Deputy Operations Director Karen Mowatt, and paralegals Nadya Lopez and Melina Watson.

To complement the internship, Kostelanetz has been a sponsor of the Morehouse-Spelman Pre-Law Society (MSPLS) since 2021.  As a sponsor, the firm connects directly with the student leaders of MSPLS to co-create events and panels that align with our goals as well as students’ interests. Past programs include “LSAT 101,” “Tax Law and Racial Justice,” and “Exploring Careers in Tax Law.”  In 2022, Kostelanetz hosted a panel for MSPLS students entitled “From Spelman to Law School: A Conversation with Kennedy Mackey, Destiny Reese, and Grace Hall.”  Our lawyers also assisted MSPLS students by conducting mock interviews to help them prepare them for employment and law school applications.