Report on the 2006 Summer Legal Fellowship Program

 

THE YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE PROGRAM

 

Twenty-three disadvantaged young people from Oakland, Berkeley, and Richmond participated in our year 2006 Summer Legal Fellowship Program. We selected the participants from a group of more than eighty applicants, based on written applications, personal interviews, and teachers' recommendations.

 

Here is a demographic profile:

 

48% entered our program after graduating from high school, 35% entered after completing their junior year of high school, and 17% entered our program after their sophomore year.

 

56% were female, 44% were male.

 

41% identified themselves as African-American, 32% as Latino, 18% as Asian-American, and 9% as a multi-ethnic.

 

Our participants attend the following high schools: Berkeley High, Berkeley Alternative High, Castlemont, Far West, Fremont High, McClymonds, Oakland Technical, Richmond High, and Skyline.

 

9% of our participants do not live with either of their parents.  Of those who live with only one parent, 63% have no contact with the other parent. Of the participants who live with both parents, 32% have no English-speaking adult in the household. 

 

23% of the youth are unsure of the level of education attained by their parents.  Of those who know, 18% have one or both parents that did not graduate from high school.

 

In addition to limited financial resources, many of the young people have experienced challenging life circumstances, such as substance abuse in their household, shouldering significant responsibility for the care of younger family members, or living on their own without any family support.

 

 

PROGRAM ACTIVITIES

 

The Summer Legal Fellowship Program provided nine weeks of full-time activities, and each young person received a stipend of $1,400. The activities included:

 

Classes on Law: Participants spent 15 days during the summer on the campus of the U.C. Berkeley School of Law learning about law and enhancing their academic skills. They analyzed Supreme Court cases, conducted mock judicial hearings, discussed current legal and political issues, and learned how the law can be influenced and changed.

 

Life Skills Activities: During their time on campus, students also participated in interactive workshops which developed their interpersonal and conflict resolution skills. Other workshop topics included job search techniques, goal setting, and pursuing higher education. Various legal professionals, including the Honorable Thelton Henderson, US District Court Judge, visited to share their life stories with participants and answer questions about their careers. Students also met a university admissions counselor, created their own resumes, and participated in videotaped mock job interviews. 

 

Internships:  For seven weeks, each participant worked for four full days per week in an internship with a law firm, nonprofit organization or government agency. Internship agencies included: Farella, Braun & Martel; La Raza Centro Legal; Fight Crime: Invest in Kids; East Bay Community Mediation; the Witkin Legal Institute, and Congresswoman Barbara Lee's Office.

 

Interns participated in such activities as attending court proceedings, research, clerical and reception duties, designing outreach materials, translating, and assisting with client intake. Our staff visited interns at their work sites and helped them resolve any difficulties constructively. Supervisors at internship agencies provided ongoing feedback and evaluated their interns at the end of the program.

 

Mock Trials: The trial skills component of the curriculum culminated in the performance of mock trials in which students acted as attorneys, witnesses and jury members. Alameda County Superior Court Judge Kenneth Kingsbury served as judge.

 

 

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