Summer Experiences

Dear Silicon Flatirons Friends and Supporters,

This summer, approximately 70 students will gain real-world experience working inside startups, federal agencies, highly successful tech companies, and alongside state and local government employees through internship programs designed by Silicon Flatirons.

One recent graduate, Ashton Seip, says, “I love what I do, and I have Silicon Flatirons to thank for that.” She took advantage of a seven-month TLA placement at Equinix as a 3L and landed a full-time job as a result. Four others also gained permanent employment from their internship hosts.

Student success is a core goal of Silicon Flatirons. We are grateful to partner with companies and organizations that value the opportunity to educate future graduates from Colorado Law and beyond.

  • Hatfield Scholars Program & DC Summer Program

Next week, 12 law students are headed to DC, having completed a three-week course on Spectrum Management. The FCC, NTIA, AT&T, and Hogan Lovells, among others, will host these students.

The Hatfield Scholars Program provides grants for those in government or public interest positions, thereby encouraging interest in public service. The DC Summer Program places students in technology-focused private and public organizations and government agencies in Washington, DC for internships. Ariel Diamond, a 2017 graduate, says she was “lucky” to be a Hatfield Scholar the last two summers, first at Public Knowledge, then at the FCC. As a result, this fall she’ll join the FCC as an Honors Attorney.

  • GELA (Governmental Entrepreneurial Leadership Accelerator)

GELA, now in its second summer, encourages innovative problem solving to pressing public policy challenges. Colorado Law students join employees from the City and County of Denver and State of Colorado to learn about entrepreneurial thinking in an intensive boot camp and then spend the rest of their time on defining solutions to their problem statement. This year’s 16 fellows are focused on problems involving the opioid epidemic, aging population, homelessness, and issues affecting LoDo.

  • TLA (Tech Lawyer Accelerator)

This year, the TLA is connecting 16 law students interested in business law with technology companies for a hands-on learning experience. The program begins with an intensive training to prepare students for their in-house placement. The paid internships range from 10 weeks to seven months and include DigitalGlobe, Level 3, LogRhythm, Medtronic, Webroot, Workday, and Zayo Group. In two scenarios, companies and their outside counsel partnered to host, or share, an intern: Sphero and Merchant & Gould, Red Robin and Bryan Cave.

  • Startup Summer

Nearly 40 undergraduate students from 18 schools around the country are placed in Denver and Boulder startups this year through Startup Summer. In addition to learning how startups work, students gain knowledge in the fundamentals of creating and running a successful startup in a friendly competition.

The success of each of these programs begins with companies, agencies, and other organizations who value the efforts of Silicon Flatirons faculty and staff to vet and prepare students for these opportunities. Our boot camps and trainings provide second-to-none preparation and are a key aspect to ensuring internships are not only valuable to students, but also their placements.

If you are interested in supporting a student summer program through hosting an internship or mentoring, please let Sara Schnittgrund, Student Programs Director, or me know.

Cheers,

Phil's Signature
Phil Weiser

Executive Director
Silicon Flatirons

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