The Sonia & Celina Sotomayor Judicial Internship Program

What The Sonia & Celina Sotomayor Judicial Internship Program does

The Sonia & Celina Sotomayor Judicial Internship Program (SCSJIP) is a New York City-based nonprofit founded in 2013 and operative since summer 2014 that runs a three-stage judicial internship pipeline for diverse, underrepresented students pursuing legal careers. The program is organized into High School, College, and Law School Divisions, each delivering summer judicial internships at state and federal courts in the NYC metropolitan area, supplemented by LSAT preparation, professional development, mentorship, and wellness programming. It is named after U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor and her mother Celina Baez Sotomayor, and was founded by Celina Cabán Gandhi with mentorship from Judge Denny Chin; Judge Pamela K. Chen currently chairs the board.

The organization operates with a 17-person team out of a single New York City office and uses standard web-based tools (Squarespace website, Google Forms, Zoom, Instagram) rather than proprietary technology. Its core "products" are its three divisions: a high school judicial internship for rising seniors across the five NYC boroughs, an 8-week college program combining judicial internships with LSAT prep, and an 8-10 week law school internship for ABA-approved law students. The program has placed over 400 students since inception and now serves 90+ interns per summer.

Revenue is generated entirely through charitable donations, annual benefit events, law firm sponsorships (platinum, base, and in-kind tiers), and partner bar association support. The organization launched an inaugural endowment campaign in 2024 targeting $1M by end of 2026. Distribution is direct via website applications and in-person program delivery in NYC, with community-led outreach through diversity bar associations (AABANY, SABANY, AALFNY, MuBANY, MBBA, Korean American Bar Association) rather than paid marketing channels.

Name

The Sonia & Celina Sotomayor Judicial Internship Program

Legal name

Sonia and Celina Sotomayor Judicial Internship Program

Website

https://scsjip.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Sonia & Celina Sotomayor Judicial Internship Program is a NYC-based nonprofit operating a three-stage high-school-to-law-school pipeline that places diverse, underrepresented students in summer judicial internships, LSAT prep, and mentorship. It is funded by donations, law firm sponsorships, and annual benefit events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: The organization relies on charitable donations from individuals and organizations, as well as proceeds from annual benefit events and endowment fundraising campaigns.
2. Corporate and Institutional Sponsorships: Law firms and organizations provide financial support as platinum, base, or in-kind investors/sponsors, contributing to program operations and the endowment fund.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Sotomayor Program delivers a sequential three-division judicial internship and educational pipeline for diverse students from underserved communities, spanning high school, college, and law school. Core services include summer judicial internship placements with state and federal judges in the New York City metropolitan area, an LSAT prep bootcamp, professional development training in legal research, writing, and branding, wellness coaching, and mentorship connections supported by partner bar associations and law firm sponsors. All programming is provided free of charge to participants and funded by donations, sponsorships, and benefit events.

Product overview

The Sonia & Celina Sotomayor Judicial Internship Program is a single unified program organized into three sequential divisions (High School, College, and Law School) that form a full pipeline from high school to law school. The High School Division provides judicial internships for NYC high school students with college preparation and mentorship. The College Division offers an 8-week program combining judicial internships with LSAT prep bootcamps and professional development. The Law School Division provides 8-10 week summer internships for law students with professional development and networking. All divisions include educational programming, mentorship, and wellness support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• High School Division Summer judicial internship program for diverse and underrepresented high school students (current juniors/rising seniors) from the five NYC boroughs. Provides internship placement with state or federal judges, supplemental educational programming, college preparation, and mentorship opportunities. Free to participants.
• College Division 8-week pre-law program for diverse college juniors and seniors committed to pursuing legal careers, combining a 4-week judicial internship with a 4-week LSAT Prep bootcamp, plus professional development training in legal research and writing, professional branding, wellness coaching, and mentorship. Free to participants.
• Law School Division 8-10 week summer judicial internship program for students attending ABA-accredited law schools, including full-time work in state or federal judges' chambers in the NYC metropolitan area, professional development training, networking events, and wellness programming. Free to participants.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 400 students have been served since founding in 2014
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ronald H. Brown College Prep Program at St. John's University School of LawcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Partnership to run a pilot virtual LSAT Bootcamp and judicial internship program for college students, which led to the launch of the College Division in 2021
• Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner bar association providing networking events, referrals, and support for diverse pipeline programs. Collaborates on joint programming such as networking events with law students.
• Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner Bar Association listed as an investor and supporter of the program
• South Asian Bar Association of New York (SABANY)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner bar association supporting the organization's diversity mission and providing networking opportunities for program interns
• Asian American Legal Foundation (AALFNY)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner bar association investor and supporter of the Sotomayor Program
• Korean American Bar Association of New York (MuBANY)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner bar association investor supporting diversity in the legal profession
• Metropolitan Black Bar Association (MBBA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner bar association sponsor supporting the program and its mission
• Manhattan Legal ServicesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization where Founder and Director Celina Caban Gandhi serves as staff attorney

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA): HNBA runs pipeline and mentorship programs to increase Hispanic representation in the legal profession, including scholarship, mentorship, and law student support initiatives. Comparable diversity-pipeline mission as the Sotomayor Program.
• Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO) Law Fellowship: SEO runs a flagship Law Fellowship providing internships, mentorship, and prep for diverse college students and law students from underrepresented backgrounds pursuing legal careers. Directly comparable pipeline structure and target population as the Sotomayor Program.
• Practicing Attorneys for Law Students (PALS): PALS is a NYC-based nonprofit providing mentoring, tutoring, and LSAT prep to underrepresented students pursuing legal careers. Same geographic market, similar target population and program mix.
• Just the Beginning Foundation (JTB): JTB organizes judicial clerkship and legal pipeline programs for diverse law students and attorneys, including summer judicial internship placement. Directly comparable to the Sotomayor Law School Division's judicial internship model.
• Council on Legal Education Opportunity (CLEO): CLEO is a national pre-law pipeline program offering LSAT prep, summer institutes, and law school success support for students from underrepresented and disadvantaged backgrounds. Closely comparable mission and program components to the Sotomayor College Division.

Broad incumbents

• ABA Legal Opportunity Scholarship Fund: Funded by the American Bar Association, this scholarship fund supports law students from underrepresented backgrounds with financial aid and mentorship. Comparable target audience and mission but operates as a scholarship fund within a larger legal industry body.
• New York City Bar Association: NYC Bar runs diversity pipeline, mentorship, and pipeline-to-the-profession initiatives serving NYC students from underrepresented backgrounds. Operates in the same NYC geography with overlapping pipeline mission but at much broader scale.
• National Bar Association (NBA): NBA is the nation's oldest and largest national network of predominantly African American attorneys and runs pipeline programs aimed at increasing diversity in the legal profession. Overlapping mission space but operates as a broad national association rather than a focused pipeline program.

Others

• Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA): MCCA works to advance diversity in corporate legal departments and the legal profession through pipeline programs, research, and events. Adjacent ecosystem participant that channels law firm and corporate DEI dollars, including to pipeline programs like the Sotomayor Program.

Emerging players

• Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF): TMCF supports underrepresented students through scholarships, leadership development, and pipeline programs, including students pursuing law and graduate professional programs. Comparable pipeline-development orientation but focused on multiple professions beyond law.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/scsjip
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-sotomayor-program

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles21 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Sonia & Celina Sotomayor Judicial Internship Program