BERNSTEIN SHUR attorney Asha Echeverria, far left, assists Casco Bay High School students during a session on the First Amendment, where they were learning about and discussing prayer and religion in public schools.
Bernstein Shur attorneys led the conference, along with Maine law students, using curriculum from the National Association for Law Placement and Street Law.
The event, part of the NALP/Street Law Legal Diversity Pipeline Program, is an effort to promote diversity in the legal profession, and was the first of its kind offered in Maine or New England. The program, funded by the Sam L. Cohen Foundation, partners law firms with diverse high school classes in an effort to engage the students, teach them about civil law and encourage students to consider careers in the legal profession.
“I have a huge interest in a career in law,” said Casco Bay High School student Mohamed Awale. “I’m hoping to one day see a world where there is confidence in the legal system (like in the U.S.) and where more lawyers look like me.”
Students participated in interactive sessions covering contract law, the First Amendment and the legislative hearing process. During the sessions, the high school students negotiated a mock Nike shoe endorsement deal, created a school policy on religious expression and held a mock legislative hearing on the merits of a bill proposing to raise the minimum driving age in Maine to 18.
“The goal of this program is to encourage local students to consider a career in law,” said Charles Miller, Bernstein Shur’s CEO. “Nationally, less than 7 percent of law firms’ partners are minorities, and only about 2 percent of partners are minority women. We hope this pipeline program will help to counteract those trends.”
Bernstein Shur is one of only 10 law firms across the country participating in the program, and the only firm of its size to have ever offered such a conference. Locally, the conference was organized by Bernstein Shur, University of Maine School of Law and Casco Bay High School.
Participating attorneys included Eben Albert-Knopp, Asha Echeverria, Willette Elder, Joan Fortin, Katherine Knox, Charles Miller, Daniel Murphy, Shana Cook Mueller, John Paterson and Jaimie Schwartz.
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