Recent News

July 1, 2011

2011 Law and Leadership Under Way

Twenty-six high school students will complete their fourth year this summer in a statewide program that seeks to improve diversity in the legal profession. A total of 410 students overall are expected to participate.

The Law and Leadership Institute identifies promising youth from urban neighborhoods and grooms them to be future leaders in the legal profession by offering them a chance to study law during the summer at an Ohio law school. Students entering the 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th grades began studies on June 27 at eight host law schools in Ohio.

Through the program, students enhance their critical thinking, writing and research skills, their analytic ability and get a feel for a professional work environment.

More than simply “job shadowing,” 9th-grade students are in class for five weeks concluding with a mock trial; 10th-grade students sit for three weeks of classroom instruction and conclude with a one-week internship at a law firm or corporation; and 11th-grade and 12th-grade students take ACT/SAT preparation courses to boost their college readiness and receive a primer on civil rights law and litigation clinics.

Hope Sharett, Law and Leadership executive director, said juniors and seniors-to-be will go on weekly tours of neighboring colleges and universities, which is new this year to the program. In a letter to law school deans, Sharett described how each site will tour a “home” university and a “sister” Law and Leadership university.

In addition to the value that touring a nearby university can offer our students, LLI is actively engaged in efforts to make formal introductions of our bright youngsters to the undergraduate admissions teams who evaluate incoming college freshmen, the director reported.