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September 2008Shametrice Davis, King County Bar Association’s diversity programs manager, speaks about how the Future of Law Institute helps inspire and encourage minority and economically disadvantaged youth to consider legal careers. What is the Future of the Law Institute? What is its mission? The Future of the Law Institute (FLI) is a year-long program in the greater Seattle area for minority and economically disadvantaged high-school students interested in learning more about a career in the law. The FLI provides students with substantive legal workshops, career counseling, a mock trial, a courthouse tour, and opportunities to meet with legal professionals. Students are matched with an attorney, judge, or law-student mentor for the school year. Additionally, the FLI offers competitive paid and unpaid summer internship opportunities in law firms and courts. The mission of the FLI is to promote ethnic diversity in the legal profession by encouraging minority and economically disadvantaged high-school students in King County and surrounding areas to pursue higher education in the law. The FLI program has three main goals: 1. Introduce minority and economically disadvantaged high-school students to the law, both substantively and as a potential career option. Since its inaugural program in 2002, the FLI has served more than 300 students from 25 area high schools, utilizing the service of 175 volunteers from the bar, bench, law schools, and corporate community. How was the FLI created and how is it funded? The FLI was created in 2001 through a coalition of Washington’s courts, state and local bar associations, minority bar associations, and law schools. The coalition recognized that using resources to increase diversity exclusively at law schools and law firms was insufficient. The coalition wanted a program to look further down the education “pipeline” to high-school students with historically limited access to role models and positive experiences in the field of law. Thinking “outside the box,” the coalition created the Future of the Law Institute. Our funding is rooted in the support and lasting commitment of Seattle University School of Law, the University of Washington School of Law, the King County Superior Court judicial system, and the FLI mentors, as well as an active and dedicated Board of Directors. The FLI is registered as an affiliate of the King County Bar Foundation (KCBF). We receive funding from KCBF and also through donations, sponsorships, and grants from law firms, corporations, bar associations, and foundations. In 2007, the FLI was honored with a $10,000 “Diversity Dollars” grant from the Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA). Only 10 organizations nationwide received the competitive award, offered in celebration of MCCA’s 10th anniversary. Representatives from FLI’s Board of Directors received the award at Microsoft headquarters from Mary Snapp, an MCCA director and Microsoft vice president. The recipients of the 2007 grants “have programs that keenly reflect the mission of the Minority Corporate Counsel Association,” said MCCA Executive Director Veta T. Richardson. She praised the effort by noting: “While some of the winning projects are focused on professional development and others are focused on outreach or ‘pipeline,’ all of the programs further the goal to increase opportunities for diverse people in the legal profession. MCCA is pleased to be able to support the important work that they are doing.” What programs does the FLI conduct for the students? The FLI initiates the program year by hosting a two-day institute held at the Seattle University and University of Washington law schools and King County Courthouse. Activities include lunch with Superior Court judges, a mock trial, a parent workshop, and a courthouse tour. Following the two-day institute, there are monthly field trips in which mentors and FLI students visit local law schools, tour the King County Courthouse and Regional Justice Center, and visit the Attorney General’s Office in Seattle for a “Meet the Attorney General” event. To promote the FLI activities, we publish a quarterly newsletter highlighting opportunities for scholarships, local law-related events, internship opportunities, and success stories from FLI alumni. We also provide summer internship opportunities in law firms and courthouses for FLI students, so that students can gain further insight into the legal profession from a hands-on perspective. Integral to the entire program is continuing mentorship. We pair students with attorneys and judges who then act as mentors. Teams of mentors are paired with five to 10 students from one or more high schools. During the academic year, mentors commit to just two weeks and two weekends of meetings with their students. The final event is a graduation and barbecue in May, with students, parents, mentors, sponsors, and others invited to attend. Summer internships and job shadows at law firms are announced, scholarships are distributed, and students receive certificates of completion. Mentors and school volunteers are also recognized at this event. Has the FLI been recognized nationally? Yes. In 2004, the American Bar Association recognized the FLI with the ABA’s Partnership Award for “exemplary efforts to increase diversity in the legal profession.” FLI has also been recognized locally by the Asian Bar Association of Washington, receiving its Program of the Year Award in 2003. What impresses you most about the FLI? The most impressive aspect of working for the FLI is interacting with the students, mentors, and board of directors. The students are bright and their energy and curiosity is inspiring. It is also inspiring to collaborate with so many mentors who are busy legal professionals or law students who still make the time to volunteer for this program. Microsoft attorney Sandy Brown is the current president of the FLI Board of Directors, and leads an additional 13 board members in directing the program. As KCBA diversity programs manager, I’ve really enjoyed working with the board, mentors, and, of course, all of the students. I took over management from Josh Isgur, who worked very hard to start the program. He found grant money and was out in the field working tirelessly. I started in March 2008, and hope to manage the program as well as Josh — I have big footsteps to follow. What thoughts about the FLI do you want to leave us with? There are many successes in the FLI. To date, the FLI has awarded over $4,000 in student scholarships, and many of our students are enrolled in colleges and universities, including one FLI graduate currently attending Stanford University. A 2004 FLI graduate and scholarship recipient, “L.S.” who attends Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, describes how important the FLI was to her: “The Future of the Law Institute impacted my decision to pursue a legal career because it was an exciting hands-on experience for me. FLI involved a lot of opportunities and experiences that caught so much of my attention. Ever since I was a little girl, I remember always wanting to be a lawyer and FLI just expanded that horizon for me…. Knowing that society needs different cultures and minorities in the field made me feel good also.” I also want people to know that they can become involved in the FLI in a variety of ways. Judges, attorneys, and law students can become mentors. Firms can offer internships or job shadow-days. Anyone can support the program with funding. We are excited about our upcoming two-day institute on November 21 and 22, 2008, followed by our year-long program, and we welcome all volunteers. To obtain additional information about the FLI and its programs or to become a mentor, please contact me: Shametrice Davis, diversity programs manager, at shametriced@kcba.org or 206-267-7052. Shametrice Davis succeeded Joshua Isgur as KCBA diversity programs manager in March. Her responsibilities include running day-to-day operations and implementing the vision of the Future of the Law Institute Board of Directors. She has a B.S. in health science from the University of Maryland and a Master’s in higher education administration from Oregon State University. She worked at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center researching smoking among college students and at Seattle University before joining the KCBA. Joshua Isgur was hired by KCBA in July 2006 as the King County Bar Association’s first diversity programs manager. At the University of Washington, he received a B.A. in international studies from the Henry M. Jackson School and a M.P.A. from the Daniel J. Evans School of Public Affairs. He possesses a professional background encompassing extensive experience managing nonprofit programs. His passion advocating for greater diversity and tolerance in our society is rooted in his work with survivors of the Holocaust, and extensive research and writing on issues of human rights and equal justice in developing countries and in Washington state. Attorney Wilberforce Agyekum and Assistant Attorney General Maureen Mannix edit this column. Upcoming Events The South Asian Bar Association of Washington (SABAW) is pleased to announce its Third Annual Banquet, on October 3, 2008, at the W Hotel in Seattle. Keynote speaker is Amul R. Thapar, United States Federal District Court judge for the Eastern District of Kentucky. See the SABAW website at www.sabaw.org or contact banquet co-chairs, Shaun Gill, at 206-254-4418 or sgill@cairncross.com or Suchi Sharma, at 360-791-9425 or 2such@comcast.net. Asian Bar Association of Washington: www.abaw.org Other Announcements The WSBA Committee for Diversity and Young Lawyers Division would like to thank law firms Stokes Lawrence and K&L Gates for graciously hosting our first two minority and specialty bars diversity socials. If your firm is interested in hosting or sponsoring a diversity social in the future, please contact Aneelah Afzali, at aneelah.afzali@stokeslaw.com, or Wilberforce Agyekum, at forcelaw@yahoo.com.
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