Each year, approximately 20 of our lawyers in New York teach six workshops on subjects such as contracts, torts and US constitutional law to the entire junior class at Cristo Rey New York High School in Harlem as part of their regular social studies curriculum. Organized by Street Law, the program culminates when the nearly 100 students visit our office to practice negotiating contracts and participate in mock depositions and trials. They also tour the office with stops to speak with both lawyers and business services employees to learn about the many careers law firms offer.
“Young people can feel that the route to a legal career is only open to a select few and, as a result, there’s a real danger that talented students think a legal career is unattainable for them,” explained Elizabeth Black, senior manager of global citizenship at White & Case. “To help ensure that doesn’t happen, for many years we’ve been running programs to engage with students who would otherwise not have considered a legal career.”
Our people in London host 25 high school students from local neighborhoods annually as part of our commitment to PRIME, an alliance of law firms working to improve access to the legal profession through work experience. We also recently launched a residential work experience program, in collaboration with the Social Mobility Foundation, for secondary school students from other parts of the United Kingdom. Both week-long programs are designed for young people from lower-income homes who are the first in their families to consider attending university. The programs include shadowing lawyers, court tours and workshops on how to interview and prepare a résumé.
Our lawyers are involved in similar pipeline programs in Bratislava, Miami, Milan, Paris, Silicon Valley and Washington, DC.
Global Citizenship
See our commitment to making a difference
This publication is provided for your convenience and does not constitute legal advice. This publication is protected by copyright.
© 2019 White & Case LLP
