From local high schools to Harvard, Yale, Penn State and Georgetown, ambitious alum from the
Summer Work Experience in Law program demonstrate the power of collaboration and determination.
In 1988, the
Black Lawyers' Association of Cincinnati and the
Cincinnati Bar Association
saw a problem. Too few African American lawyers practiced in
Cincinnati. A joint initiative to address that disparity, SWEL started
with a small class of African American students who spent the summer
interning in the public sector, with judges and district attorneys.
The
next year, private sector internships were added, and the class size
grew. Today, 350 students have worked in federal judge's chambers,
high-powered law firms and offices around the region, learning critical
lessons and making lifelong connections.
"It is a wonderful
program," says Beverly Hardy, SWEL executive director. A former human
resources officer, Hardy took the leadership role at SWEL three years
ago. I believe in the opportunity for students to have hands-on
experience. It helps provide them with the skills they need, beyond the
academic."
Law firms and corporate legal departments provide
full-time, paid internships. The Cincinnati Bar Association provides
office and classroom space for all program activities. "SWEL has the
support of local attorneys, judges and law school faculty who serve as
board members, provide leadership and strategic direction for the
program, volunteer in the classroom and mentor students," Hardy says.
By giving students a realistic ideas about what to expect on the job as
well as how to prepare for college and law school, SWEL not only
provides valuable education, it encourages students who graduate to come
back to Cincinnati to practice their skills.
Since its
inception, 70 SWEL alumni have received their Juris Doctor degrees,
including Kenneth Parker, Assistant US Attorney and chief of the
Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force for the southern district of
Ohio, and Shanda Spurlock, now an associate attorney with Dinsmore
& Shohl LLP.
Do Good:•
Watch a video and hear the SWEL participants tell their stories.
•
Give your support. You can donate time, resources or provide a work site for SWEL.
•
Tell a teen. Encourage a future legal eagle you know to apply to be a part of SWEL.
By Elissa YanceyPhoto courtesy of SWEL
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