Welcome to the Atkins Law Career Closet!
The Atkins Law Career Closet is a support resource open to Broncos of all majors and identities. Through this resource, the university provides professional attire at no cost to students and recent grads in need.
Available items are intended for interviews, career fairs, internships, research conferences, etc.
How It Works
- Make an appointment online. We are open Tuesdays – Thursdays, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; closed weekends and holidays.
- Check in with our staff when you arrive. We will be on stand-by to answer questions and bag up your selections. Location: Micron Business and Economics Building, first floor, room 1120. Find us on the campus map.
- Pick out your outfit. During your appointment you can “shop” our inventory. Clothing on hand is business professional – including suits, shirts, slacks, skirts, dresses, and some accessories. The closet also has a lockable changing space. We encourage you to try on different looks at your leisure.
- Visit again! There is a limit of four items per student per semester, but we encourage swaps and re-donations.
Hours & Location
Open Tuesday – Thursday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; closed weekends and holidays.
Located in the Micron Business and Economics Building, room 1120.
Origins
Early in her junior year, Cierra Abellera (Psychology B.S., 2019) was preparing for a professional research conference with her McNair Scholars cohort – consisting of first generation, limited income and underrepresented students. Realizing that not all members of her cohort had access to buy or borrow professional clothing, she identified a solution.
In Summer 2018, Cierra and other student representatives from the MLK Living Legacy Committee approached COBE Career Services to house and host the closet. As a result, both organizations worked collaboratively to build a comfortable and welcoming space. Cierra hopes that the closet will always be a resource to address this need.
Donor
In 2022, attorney and former adjunct professor Thomas Atkins approached our development team with the desire to give back. Thomas knows the value of high-impact student services first hand; he has seen his former students gain professional momentum by using the closet and similar success resources. Knowing the impact that these services make, he and his law partners offered to make a gift. With their support (and yours!) we continue to serve students in a meaningful way.
Ways to Support
Fund
Monetary donations are always welcome. Gifted funds cover dry cleaning and operating costs, as well as supplement inventory purchases. Give to the Career Closet online.
Donate
We encourage in-kind donations of clean, gently-worn or new professional clothing in all sizes, including maternity. We also accept some accessories. Donation guidelines and items needed are listed here. If your items are used, please launder them prior to donating. Unusable items will be discarded or re-donated.
If you wish to receive a tax deduction for donation of new items, you will need to provide your purchase receipt and fill out a non-cash gift form. For assistance with this process, please contact a Boise State Development Director. For donation of used items, our staff can provide a basic receipt upon request.
Items Needed:
- Suit jackets and blazers (smaller sizes, all cuts, modern fabrics)
- Slacks (smaller sizes, masculine cuts, plain prints)
- Solid colored ties (especially black and navy, modern fabrics)
- Other accessories (new belts, padfolios)
Items to Avoid:
- Stained, ripped, or severely worn items (including those with excessive pet hair or smoke damage)
- Out of date items (bought 5+ years ago)
- Shoes (unless brand new), jewelry, luggage or bags
- Wire hangers
Due to high inventory, we are only accepting donations on a case-by-case basis. Reach out to us with a short list of the items you would like to donate by emailing cobecareers@boisestate.edu or calling (208) 426-3862.