New Haven L.A.W. Camp encourages diversity
NEW HAVEN >> The American Bar Association’s 2016 breakdown of lawyer demographics reveals that 88 percent of today’s lawyers are white. In an effort to address the disparity in representation of minorities in the legal profession, the New Haven County Bar Association organized a four-day camp for Greater New Haven area teens to try to improve diversity.
From July 18 through 21, 48 high school students participated in the L.A.W. Camp, where they met in various law-related venues to learn about the law and legal profession. The campers had the opportunity to interact and learn from practicing lawyers and judges. Through instruction in actual law school classrooms, panel discussions, a visit to a downtown law firm and mock trials at the New Haven Superior Courthouse and the U.S. District Court, this program tries to simulate for high school students what it is like to be a “real” lawyer.
“It’s amazing the opportunity to get into a courtroom, to get to talk to lawyers, meet judges,” civil litigation lawyer Siobhan Barco said. “I wish I had done something like this before I went to law school.”
She added the campers learn how to work together as a team, delegate and share tasks, learn the facts of the trial efficiently and the skills associated with public speaking.
L.A.W. camper Maya Berghese, 15, said, “I’ve spoken with a lot of lawyers about the general structure of a trial and important elements like confidence and how you’re supposed to address a judge.”
While it’s educational, Barco said the campers still enjoy themselves. She said that it does not take a lot to encourage them, and “a lot of them get really into the competitive spirit, wanting to win the mock trial competition.”
Camper Kenyatta Harris Jr., 15, said “I’m having a lot of fun. It’s helping me get a better idea about the whole lawyer scene and if that’s what I want to go into.”
The L.A.W. Camp is an important initiative to increase diversity in the legal profession and inspire New Haven area
youth, regardless of socioeconomic or cultural background, said Gillian Fattal, executive director of the New Haven County Bar Association.
Fattal believes persistent underrepresentation of people of color within the bar in the legal community, both in New Haven and nationwide, calls for action in providing opportunities to interact and learn from practicing lawyers and judges.
“Everyone interacts with the law at some point, so it’s good to have a variety of people representing the issues that are most important to them,” Berghese said.
Barco added that “people, a lot of times, are more comfortable having a lawyer who they can relate to. So the more diverse people we can get to go to law school, the more people in society at large will have lawyers who they’re comfortable with.”