The History of PALS

PALS®, originally called the “Adopt-a-Law Student Program”, was founded in 1984 to improve the recruitment of minority law students by New York City’s major law firms. Patricia L. Irvin, then a senior associate at Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy, met with African-American law students at New York University School of Law ("NYU") to discuss how to improve their recruitment by New York City's major law firms. With the support of Milbank, Tweed, David C. Siegfried, its hiring partner at the time, and Anne Waugh, then the firm's recruitment director, Ms. Irvin organized her friends to serve as mentors for law students from NYU. 

Since its creation over 25 years ago, PALS® is recognized as the foremost organization supporting diversity in the law school pipeline in the New York City area.  PALS® has a strong legacy and tradition of providing supplemental programs and resources to minority law students and new attorneys.  PALS® succeeds each time one of its members achieves a personal victory or milestone in their legal career.