While most Hamilton County students enjoyed a little rest and relaxation during their fall break, 20 pupils spent the first two days of their break at the Leadership and Law Academy.
Hosted by the Chattanooga Legal Diversity Consortium, the academy was held Oct. 9-10 at the Hamilton County Courthouse and Unum.
Through attorney lectures, guest speakers and discussions on preparing for college, minority students learned about the path to becoming a lawyer, the study of law and the various ways attorneys work in their community.
Tenth through 12th graders from Howard High, Tyner High, Notre Dame, Chattanooga School for the Arts & Sciences and Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy were selected by their schools to attend the free camp.
“The goal of the Chattanooga Leadership and Law Academy is to introduce students of color to the legal field, thereby, increasing the number of diverse attorneys in the local legal community,” says Husch Blackwell attorney and CLDC member Ariel Anthony.
“The students who attended this year’s academy enjoyed interacting one-on-one with the lawyers and participating in the mock trial. With the help of the attorneys, the students developed a case, presented opening arguments, conducted direct and cross examinations and presented closing arguments.”
Sponsors of the Academy included: Husch Blackwell; Unum; the Chattanooga Bar Foundation; Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee; and Erlanger. Coordinators included: Husch Blackwell; Spears, Moore, Rebman & William; Baker Donelson; Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel; the Chattanooga Bar Association; the City of Chattanooga; and the CLDC.
The CLDC is comprised of a group of government, law firm and business representatives working together to improve diversity in the legal profession in Chattanooga.
Source: CLDC