For those who have not been with the Standing Committee on Minority and Women Participation in the trenches, a great group of lawyers has been working tirelessly on diversifying the legal profession. This manifests itself in statewide workshops with law students on understanding the role of minorities and women as we take on leadership roles in the legal profession and in the ISBA. But as we have been learning in the quest to enhance opportunities for those entering law school and those moving up through the leadership within the ISBA and law firm culture, we are talking about a much expanded definition of diversity. At Southern Illinois University School of Law in Carbondale we presented an incredible array of lawyers talking to law students about their diversity. Farther north, in the oak-lined halls of Jenner & Block, we co-sponsored a workshop on empowering women and minority lawyers to take leadership roles in the ISBA. Both of these efforts are described more fully in articles in this newsletter.
As you read this, there are several high profile initiatives in planning and research phases. ISBA President Joe Bisceglia has created the Task Force on Diversity, chaired by Lynn Grayson of Jenner & Block, which has embarked on gathering data and mapping out sustainable programs and long term goals for diversifying the legal profession and the ISBA. Ms. Grayson’s article in this newsletter tells more about the composition, plans and goals of Task Force on Diversity.
In the Task Force subcommittee on the pipeline to the legal profession, of which I am co-chair, we have been accumulating information about the wealth of existing programs aimed at supporting the legal profession throughout the educational continuum. During the midyear meeting that Task Force subcommittee will continue the arduous task of analyzing existing data and recommending a course of action for the ISBA to ensure the diversity of the profession in the future.
We owe a huge debt of gratitude to President Bisceglia for his hard work and continued support toward diversifying the legal profession. Yet, we are only a few steps toward making real tangible and measurable progress in this area. The real statistics about how many minorities make it to law school and to leadership positions as partners in law firms will provide a true measure of how much more work there is to be done. Yet at every turn we see that there is a genuine interest of the traditional powerhouse law firms to invest in diversifying the legal profession, and we are looking for success stories to model and replicate as we go forward.
On a local level, I have forged a burgeoning relationship with Benito Juarez High School in Chicago’s predominantly Mexican neighborhood of Pilsen. They have asked for help with their mock trial program and with assisting their seniors in applying to college. They were kind enough to ask me to be “Principal for a Day” with Maggie Daley, Chicago Mayor Richard Daley’s wife. We were treated to the rich success of the students’ arts projects for Day of the Dead, their Gallery 37 after-school programs, and a vibrant Chinese language program. In the coming months, expect me to ask for volunteers to help with some of the projects at the school. Sadly, I do not feel that the Hispanic community has increased its numbers in the legal profession, which is so desperately needed in the wake of the immigration debate and the backlash of local laws aimed at immigrants.
I am so proud of the hard work of the Minority and Women Participation Committee and feel there is a refreshing and invigorating sense of camaraderie among us. Of course, we will need a fresh infusion of leadership to carry us through the coming years. So for those who are on the committee and those who read this and are looking for a place to invest some time and get a huge return, the Minority and Women Participation may be your new home if you choose it.
On October 30, 2007, the Task Force on Diversity held its first organizational meeting in Chicago. ISBA President Joe Bisceglia created this special task force in response to recommendations made by the ISBA Diversity Pipeline Project in its report issued in March 2007. The task force’s mission is to implement the ISBA Diversity Pipeline Project recommendations and to promote greater diversity in the Illinois legal community statewide and within the ISBA.
To accomplish its mission, the task force has been organized into three subcommittees: 1) Diversity Pipeline Project; 2) Illinois Legal Community; and 3) ISBA. Co-chairs have been named to lead the work of each subcommittee as follows:
1. Diversity Pipeline Project: Alice Noble-Allgire, Andy Fox, Tracy Prosser and Venu Gupta;
2. Illinois Legal Community: Sonni Williams and Gwen Rowan;
3. ISBA: Patrice Ball-Reed and Deborah Cole.
In large part, the work of the task force will be conducted by these subcommittees. Each subcommittee has a mission and has identified possible actions it may consider moving forward.
Diversity Pipeline Project
In its report dated March 9, 2007, the Diversity Pipeline Project, initiated by the Standing Committee on Minority and Women Participation, made several recommendations:
1. Appoint a special diversity task force following the lead of the State Bar of California;
2. Serve as a clearinghouse and coordinator of information;
3. Establish partnerships to implement pipeline programs;
4. Advocate for funding/programs to be carried out by others;
5. Evaluate a means to assess the effectiveness of current and future pipeline programs; and,
6. Identify funding resources needed to support pipeline initiatives.
With these recommendations in mind, the mission of the Diversity Pipeline Project subcommittee is to “support improved educational opportunities for diversity students and encourage all efforts for diversity students to enter the legal profession.” Other possible actions the subcommittee will consider this year include: creating a matrix of meaningful pipeline projects; establishing a clearinghouse for pipeline information; coordinating educational outreach with the ISBA Committee on Law Related Education for the Public; and, developing potential pipeline initiatives for K-12.
Illinois Legal Profession
This subcommittee’s mission is to “promote greater diversity within the Illinois legal community including support of the Commission on Professionalism of the Illinois Supreme Court (“Commission”) and overall raise awareness of the critical importance of diversity to the legal profession.” The key task this subcommittee will accomplish is the completion of a statewide survey on diversity within the Illinois legal profession. The survey will address qualitative as well as quantitative information. Other outreach efforts will include working with the Commission on a clearinghouse that will make diversity-related information available to interested parties. The subcommittee also will work to support diversity initiatives advanced by law firms, corporate law departments, government and bar associations.
ISBA
This subcommittee’s work will be focused on the ISBA as an organization with its overall mission to “increase the participation, leadership and membership ranks of diversity attorneys within the ISBA.” The key task of this subcommittee will be to develop a report card on the status of diversity attorneys within the ISBA membership, leadership and programs. Other outreach efforts will focus on examining opportunities to expand diversity attorney membership in the ISBA, promoting advancement of diversity attorneys in the bar association’s leadership, considering pilot diversity training and evaluating differing membership opportunities, particularly for government attorneys.
Another critical component of the task force will be to support the work of the Commission on Professionalism of the Illinois Supreme Court. Working closely with the Commission’s Executive Director, Cheryl Niro, the task force will be partnering with the Commission, as appropriate, to raise awareness of diversity concerns within the Illinois legal community and to make resources available to promote the advancement and success of diversity attorneys in Illinois. The task force is honored to support the Commission’s conclave on professionalism and diversity to be held December 6, 2007, in conjunction with the ISBA mid-year meeting in Chicago.
The subcommittees are hard at work advancing pipeline projects, developing the format of a statewide diversity survey and creating a report card of diversity within the ISBA. Any ISBA member with recommendations or suggestions for the task force should contact its Chair, Lynn Grayson, at 312-923-2756 or at lgrayson@jenner.com.
With the collaborative effort now underway, the task force hopes its work will contribute to positive change in the Illinois legal community and to sustainable progress on diversity required for the continued success of the legal profession overall.
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*E. Lynn Grayson is a Partner in the Chicago office of Jenner & Block LLP. In 2007, ISBA President Bisceglia appointed Ms. Grayson to serve as the Chair of the Task Force on Diversity.
The Illinois State Bar Association’s diversity pipeline efforts have already spawned at least one successful new partnership, with the promise of more to come.
During October, students from the Loyola Academy of St. Louis visited the Southern Illinois University School of Law, where they participated in a mock trial and talked about their career plans with members of the Black Law Student Association. The visit was arranged by Loyola Academy President Kevin Lee as a result of his participation in the ISBA’s Diversity Roundtable program in December 2006.
The Loyola Academy is an all-male Jesuit middle school. The school’s mission “is to serve boys who have the potential for college preparatory work, but who are in danger of failing to achieve that potential because of poverty, residence in distressed neighborhoods, or other social or economic factors.”
Loyola Academy faculty Pat Garrett and Matt Leonard accompanied 15 eighth grade students on the trip to the SIU School of Law. The visit gave Loyola Academy students an opportunity to explore law as a potential career and to observe law students of color as role models and mentors.
SIU Law School Dean Peter C. Alexander said that programs like this are an important step in ensuring that more students from underrepresented communities enter the legal profession.
“The reality for legal education is that it can no longer look to college juniors and seniors as the primary source for students of color,” he said. “Pipeline initiatives, such as the SIU School of Law’s involvement with the Loyola Academy, are vital if student bodies are to reflect the greater society. Schools have to think creatively in order to help students of color realize that law school can be a reality for them, and the efforts have to begin at a very early age.”
Members of the Black Law Student Association began the day’s activities by asking the Loyola students if they had thought about what careers they wanted to pursue. One or two hands went up when the students were asked if they had any interest in a law career. The law students then showed a “Choose Law” video created by the American Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division and quizzed the eighth graders afterward about what they learned.
“Lawyers played an important role in drafting our Constitution,” recalled one of the eighth graders. “Diversity is important to the legal profession,” added another.
The video also highlights how lawyers can help their communities and the various ways in which lawyers can use their law degrees – from the courtroom to the corporate boardroom. The law students used the video as a springboard to talk about their career goals and how they had prepared themselves for college and law school.
After lunch, students from Dean Alexander’s trial advocacy class presented a mock prosecution of Goldilocks on charges of for breaking and entering and destruction of property. The Loyola Academy students served as jurors and engaged in a spirited deliberation before finding Goldilocks guilty.
Dean Alexander then asked the eighth-graders to raise their hands if they could see themselves in the role of an attorney in the future. This time, more than half of the hands went up.
“Our trip was truly inspirational for the students and me,” said Garrett, who is director of graduate support for the Loyola Academy.
The law students were equally impressed by the intellectual curiosity and drive exhibited by the junior high school students as a result of the rigorous education they have been receiving at the academy. In talking with Garrett and Leonard afterward, one of the law students commented that “your guys ask much better questions than most groups we talk to. Where is your school again?”
Second year law student Danielle Johnson, who played the role of Goldilocks, said she “enjoyed seeing these young men’s minds at work” when they voted to convict her. “These young men are from the inner-city where they have many decisions on whether to continue with school or succumb to the life that they see every day in their neighborhoods,” she said. “I am hopeful that through this visit they will choose the light that leads them to law.”
The law students also expressed gratitude for the opportunity to give something back in exchange for the mentoring they have received over the years.
“To get where I am, I have relied on the guidance and counsel of countless people,” said Gino Betts Jr., a second-year law student. “I am in debt to all those who have shared their experiences with me, and the only way for me to square my debt is to give back to those coming behind me. I am sincerely grateful for the opportunity to offer my time and perspective to the young men of Loyola Academy.”
Second-year law student Gina Golliday similarly remarked: “Encouraging and meeting with the students of Loyal Academy made me realize the importance of helping our youth understand the significance of obtaining a solid educational foundation to exceed in higher learning. Their enthusiasm in learning about my life as a law student and their participation in the mock trial revealed that it is never too early to start thinking about a legal career. From this experience I found how essential it is to give back and to be a positive role model as a law student and later as an attorney.”
Third-year law student Amanda Joyce expressed gratitude for an opportunity to make a difference in the future of an upcoming generation.
“I grew up in a very repressed area in downtown Chicago, and by all standard means of society I should either be in prison or dead,” she said. “Being able to see a difference in anyone’s life is one of the main reasons I got into law.”
Before the day was over, Garrett and Dean Alexander were already making plans for a return visit next year, with hopes of expanding the group to include other middle schools and high schools with similar missions.
In a concerted effort to increase minority and women representation in ISBA governance, on November 2, 2007, the ISBA’s Standing Committee on Minority and Women Participation and the Task Force on Diversity presented a program on “Changing the Face of the ISBA: Tips on Running for Office in the ISBA.” In the joint effort to change the face of the ISBA, the program’s goal was to demystify the road to ISBA leadership for minority and women attorneys.
Cheryl Niro, the past President of the ISBA and the current Executive Director of the Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism; Michele Jochner, a member of the ISBA Board of Governors; and Sonni Choi Williams, secretary of the MWP Committee and an ISBA Assembly member, spoke about their experiences in the ISBA leadership, the leadership positions available, and how to run for those positions.
The speakers emphasized that this year, there is a great opportunity available for anyone who may be interested in assuming a leadership role. The ISBA has a number of open seats in the ISBA Board of Governors and the Assembly. Vacancies on the Board of Governors include 4 for Cook County, 1 for Under 37 Downstate, 1 for Downstate, Area 7. In addition, there are 26 vacancies for Assembly members for Cook County.
Cheryl Niro, spoke to the group of 18 participants about her experience in becoming the second woman elected to serve as president of the ISBA in the 125 year history of the organization. Ms. Niro told the group that during her ascent in the ISBA leadership, she always kept her integrity intact and shunned the “favor for favor” promises that were so prevalent along the road to the top positions at that time. But she indicated that the climate has changed, and the current campaign spending limitation levels the playing field to allow more underrepresented groups to get into to the 3rd vice-president race.
Ms. Niro advised that anyone who wants to get involve in the ISBA leadership should join a committee or section council that addresses a topic or area of practice in which he or she is interested and build a good reputation as a committee or section council member, and then run for an open position in either the Assembly and the ISBA Board. Ms. Niro stated that, for young attorneys, the best starting committee would be the ISBA Young Lawyers Division, which includes a wide range of attorneys from all different backgrounds and areas of practice. Ms. Niro reiterated that the ISBA as an organization is committed to inclusion of more minorities and women in its leadership.
The second speaker, Michele Jochner, announced that she would begin her efforts to trek the road to the top ISBA leadership position by running for the 3rd vice-president position. The 3rd vice-president election is a crucial step since it determines the ISBA presidency through automatic successions from 3rd vice-president to 2nd vice-president to president-elect and then to president.
Ms. Jochner talked about how she first got involved in the ISBA through her participation in the Lincoln Award Writing Contest her first year out of law school. When she won the contest the first year and then subsequent years, she met a lot of people in ISBA leadership through the awards receptions and other events. While active on ISBA’s committees, other female attorneys approached her to run for a position on the ISBA Board of Governors. Ms. Jochner told the group that her first meeting of the ISBA Board was intimating and daunting since she was one of only two women on the Board. Nevertheless, she enjoyed her time on the Board and now is facing the challenge of running for the position of the 3rd vice-president. She advised the group to be dedicated participants in committees and section councils so that others who recognize that hard work and dedication will lend support for running for an open position on the Assembly or the Board.
Ms. Jochner lauded the hard work that the MWP Committee and the Women and the Law Committee have done to promote more active participation from attorneys with diverse backgrounds. She echoed the speakers’ sentiments that the ISBA only becomes stronger and better with diversity.
The third speaker, Sonni Choi Williams, Assistant Corporation Counsel for the City of Peoria and Assembly member for the 10th Judicial Circuit, spoke about why she decided to be an active participant in the ISBA organization. Ms. Williams told the group that in 2001, as a member of the Illinois Supreme Court’s Special Committee on Professionalism, she participated in a town hall meeting in Champaign on professionalism issues, including diversity sensitivity.
After the town hall meeting, a small group of attorneys, including Ms. Williams and Ms. Niro, discussed the courage of one lone female minority attorney who raised her hand to dispute her colleagues’ assertion that the Champaign bar was a welcoming bar to minorities. Ms. Niro recounted to the group her law school experience of being one of just a handful of female law students and being told by a professor that it was hard to believe that a pretty female student could be prepared and intelligently answer his questions in class. Ms. Niro reported this comment to school administrators, and for these comments and other misconduct, the professor was asked to leave the school. Ms. Williams stated that this story and the fact that Ms. Niro became the second female ISBA president, inspired her to run for the open vacancy in the Assembly for the 10th Judicial Circuit.
In conclusion, Ms. Williams reminded the participants that they too could be a voice to make changes and to inspire others.
The Black Law Students Association of the Southern Illinois University School of Law and the Illinois State Bar Association’s Minority and Women Participation Committee recently co-sponsored a panel discussion addressing the challenges of being the only ________ in a law firm or other legal setting. The discussion took place in the Lesar Law Building at SIU School of Law.
Participating panelists included attorneys Andrew Fox, Chief of Staff of the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation; George Norwood, Assistant U.S. Attorney in Benton; Staci Yandle, a solo practitioner in Belleville; Bill Dorothy, a senior lecturer at the Washington University School of Law; Brandi Johnson, a small-firm practitioner in St. Louis; Howard Rosenblum, senior attorney at Equip for Equality in Chicago, Tracy Posser, a career law clerk in the U.S. District Court in Benton, and Leonard Gross, a professor from SIU School of Law.
With the question posed regarding the challenges of being the only ________, the term ‘diversity’ expanded to a more enveloping definition. Although typically the term tends to connote minority cultures or races, the composition of panel illustrated that “diversity” also envelops disabilities, gender and sexual orientation. As Andrew Fox stated in his opening comments, “A true diversity of society is more than just race and culture. . . . If you want to be a learned person and not live in the past, [then] expand your view of diversity because it includes sexual orientation, those male and female and people with [disabilities].”
With that introduction, the next distinguished panelist began, “My name is Howard Rosenblum, and despite the feminine tone in my voice that you are hearing right now, it’s not me speaking. That’s my sign language interpreter.” Mr. Rosenblum is currently the only profoundly deaf attorney in the State of Illinois and one of approximately 150 profoundly deaf attorneys in the United States. He eloquently stated that, while there are physical and communication barriers that do need to be addressed, people with disabilities should not have to deal with “attitudinal barriers.” Attitudinal barriers, such as societal views that limit the lives of people with disabilities and people with disabilities thinking that they cannot do for themselves, unnecessarily hinder the lives of those with physical differences.
Brandi Johnson, paralyzed from the neck down when she was 19 years old continued, “I always wanted to be a lawyer and after I was injured I finished undergrad and then went to law school. I never really stopped to think about not doing it, to be honest.” Impressively, Ms. Johnson represents a caseload of 170 clients, navigating her way around courthouses, some inaccessible. Her straightforward advice touched on the bottom line dollar value of an attorney to a law firm and illuminated her opinion that a person with a disability just has to find a way around it and get to the point where they are an asset to the firm, in spite of any physical limitation.
Leonard Gross, once one of a handful of Jewish attorneys at a large firm in New York, reiterated the need for a young lawyer to keep in mind that law firms are businesses and the bottom line of the dollar is important. The ramification of this fact of life is that young attorneys who bring billable hours will be provided incentives so that they can continue to work more hours. In his experience, taking off Jewish holidays was not an issue as long as his work was covered and the job for the clients got done.
Staci Yandle, a plaintiffs’ personal injury trial lawyer, found the first challenge she confronted as an attorney was low expectations. Rising to that challenge she followed the advice of her mother, “You have to work harder. You have to be better. You have to do more.” Today in 2007, just as in 1987, she is most often the only person of color sitting at counsel table in the courtroom. While always conscious of her difference, she did not want to be self-conscious. Consequently, the greatest neutralizer she learned was to be competent as an attorney and comfortable in her own skin. Not only did the way she carry herself in her career prove to be a neutralizer, but also an advantage. Coming into a courtroom underestimated and then rising to prove that underestimation false gets the attention of the jury and it gets the attention of the judge.
Tracy Prosser previously worked in a large law firm in Chicago and talked about the challenges of being a female in a large law firm. In her view, the challenges female attorneys face today are vastly different from those women faced 20 years ago. As far as opportunities, women are getting the same opportunities. However, it is a challenge for females to develop relationships with law firm partners and clients when such development typically takes place over activities that tend to cater to men. Furthermore, it tends to be more difficult for a female to ask a male associate, law firm partner, or client to lunch on a one-on-one basis. To combat societal norms, Ms. Prosser suggested that females initiated group lunches. Another informative suggestion was for young female attorneys to pick a law firm or law firm department with a number of female partners to enhance mentoring opportunities.
George Norwood gave straightforward advice regarding a prospective employer wanting to interview someone because of the potential to increase their firm’s diversity. In essence, he advised students to take the interview and once in the door to “work hard, harder, and even hardest.” He also counseled on how to be an activist for diversity by putting your goal in terms of a client’s perspective. In his example, a confederate flag hung on the outside of a secretary’s window at a large law firm. Rather than claim it was offensive on a personal level, he approached the situation by cleverly informing his superiors that if he were a client and saw that flag, then he would take his business elsewhere. The flag was gone by the end of the day and it never reappeared.
Bill Dorothy opened with the story of a man who was black but could pass as white analogizing this anecdote to the way many law firms first approached diversity in the 1980s. Twenty years ago many law firms appeared to want to hire diverse attorneys, but in actuality perhaps wanted people who could pass as non-diverse. However, throughout his career he has seen a shift of attitude towards homosexual attorneys from that of toleration to more open acceptance. While he could distinctly remember gay attorneys being turned down for positions in law firms because of their homosexuality in the 1980s, the stigmatization is not as present today. Law students now have a multitude of organizations supporting attorneys who are homosexual and providing career assistance.
The distinguished panelists, as diverse from each other as to the majority culture, provided straightforward advice for up-and-coming attorneys on the brink of entering the real world. Play your advantages. Do not let your disadvantages rule the day. Combat prejudice intelligently. Be an asset. Work hard, harder, the hardest. Be comfortable with yourself and you will find your place.
On May 11, 2007, volunteers joined hands to make a difference in the lives of female elementary and high school students in the Chicago area. The Women Everywhere: Partners in Service Project sponsored an informative, inspiring, fun-filled day for more than 250 students from Chicago area schools. The students participated in programs in different legal venues where federal and state judges graciously allowed the students to view proceedings in their courtrooms, and took time to explain varying aspects of the legal system to the students. In keeping with the theme of the Women Everywhere program, Women Helping Women, the judges and lawyers who served as tour guides for the students encouraged the students to further their education so that, in turn, the students may be able to have a positive impact on their respective communities. While groups of students toured the federal courts, Domestic Violence Court, Criminal Court, and courtrooms in the Daley Center, this article will highlight the Appellate Court Educational Seminar.
The Oprah magazine, mugs, T-shirts, and Who Wants to be a Millionaire, were a recipe for fun while focusing on a serious problem. Co-chairs Yolaine Dauphin and Michele Jochner selected the subject of human trafficking for the Educational Seminar, believing it to be particularly apropos for female high school students. Human trafficking is a scourge to which some of the students participating in the seminar might fall prey. A young girl who leaves her home, whether that home be her parents’ home or a foster care home, has a significant chance of becoming a victim of human trafficking. Once forced into trafficking, she is at risk psychologically and physically, and, in some cases, she risks her very life.
To prepare for the Educational Seminar, attorney Michael Edwalds, and Ms. Dauphin developed a research problem on human trafficking. The facts are simple but all too close to reality. After another fight with her father, Maria runs away from home. At the bus station, she meets Katherine, who remembers her from high school. Katherine tells her of a job cleaning rooms in a motel in Wisconsin, and Maria accepts Katherine’s offer of clothes and transportation to the motel. Once at the motel, Maria discovers that her job entails more than cleaning rooms. She also learns she must work to pay Katherine for the clothes, and to pay Mike, the motel owner, for the motel room as well as for the finder’s fee that Mike paid to Katherine.
Armed with these facts, Mr. Edwalds and attorney April Otterberg performed legal research and drafted a memorandum to be used in the mock appellate trial. The memorandum would provide background information for Justice P. Scott Neville and Justice Denise O’Malley of the Illinois Appellate Court as they prepared to judge the mock appellate trial. The memorandum would also provide a blueprint for Ms. Otterberg, and attorneys Maureen Kirby and Douglas Uhlinger to prepare the students for the mock appellate argument.
The stage being set, the Educational Seminar began with a game. Attorney Monica Llorente prepared questions on the rights of women in general and on the issue of human trafficking. Several students volunteered to play Who Wants to be a Millionaire. They polled the audience and used other lifelines to answer the questions. Participants in the game were rewarded with mugs and T-shirts.
The students received additional materials on human trafficking from attorney Elizabeth Yore. Formerly of DCFS and now counsel to Harpo Studio, Yore is an expert on human trafficking. She gave the students information about human trafficking, mixed with a good dose of encouragement to stay on the right path.
Judge Ann C. Williams of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, followed with a very personal message of sacrifice and perseverance. Her father, a professional who could not obtain employment in his field, drove a bus in order to take care of his family and provide his daughter with an education. Judge Williams reminded the students of the value of education and urged them to look for the positive in every situation.
The attorney volunteers then went into play to prepare the students for the mock appellate argument. The attorneys recognized that the time allotted for preparation was short. They painted the problem with broad strokes and gave the students only the general outline of the legal issues. Although short, infused with the students’ enthusiasm the preparation was enough. There was no shortage of volunteers to present the arguments. Two students presented the case of the prosecution, one student represented the motel owner, and the last student represented Katherine. The judges asked insightful questions and the students answered, explaining their positions without making concessions. At the conclusion of arguments, Justice Neville delivered the ruling of the court. The effervescent students posed for photographs, reminders of the day in court, as they clutched copies of the Oprah magazine made available by Yore.
It was then time for lunch and a walk to the James Thompson Center to rejoin the main group of students. The afternoon ended with an interactive session intended to provide the students insight into other professional pathways. News anchor, Nancy Pender, explained how she gathers information for a news story. A CSI investigator provided information about crime scene investigation and explained that she has the same DNA as her identical sisters but not the same fingerprints. An expert on bullies communicated strategies to deal with bullies at school. Even as the students boarded their buses for the ride back to school, the volunteers begin to critique the year’s program and think of ways to increase the impact and the information and fun quotients of the next year’s program.