Law Links program allows high school students to intern in legal

Daily Record, The (Baltimore), Aug 3, 2002 by Alisa Bralove

Before this summer, 16-year-old James Branch thought he wanted to be a lawyer. After five weeks at the Legal Aid Bureau, now he's not so sure.

"I don't have the patience," said Branch, who is going into his senior year at Southwestern High School in Baltimore. "I'd rather be a paralegal than a lawyer any day."

Branch learned this lesson as a participant in Law Links, a program organized by the Maryland State Bar Association, which gives high school students the chance to work for eight weeks at a law firm or law-related agency.

This summer, a record number of students -- 54 in all -- are spending their summers getting paid to do everything from sitting in on depositions and court proceedings, to filing, filing and more filing.

This is also the first year that students on the Eastern Shore are included. Five students in Somerset, Wicomico and Worcester counties are interning with the program.

According to Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Wanda K. Heard, groups in Anne Arundel and Baltimore Counties are exploring the idea of joining the program. Judges in Montgomery County have expressed interest too.

Heard, in fact, helped spur the Eastern Shore's participation this year.

In the state judiciary's newsletter, she read about a judicial internship program put together last year with the help of Chief Judge Robert M. Bell, Administrative Judge Daniel M. Long of the first judicial circuit, and Lynn F. Cain, the circuit's court administrator.

After the article appeared, Heard contacted Cain about expanding Law Links to the Eastern Shore.

"I advised them of what we were doing and asked them if they would like to join under the umbrella of Law Links," Heard said. "We would have the benefits of their experience and they would have the benefit of ours. It seems to have worked out really well."

The Eastern Shore program operates somewhat independently from the rest of Law Links, getting its funding from the Lower Shore Private Industry Council, which allows the students to work with judges. Their counterparts on the other side of the Chesapeake work in firms or government agencies.

Otherwise, Cain said, the Eastern Shore students are fully included in the Law Links experience, including the field trip to Annapolis and the group's yearbook.

"We feel we're part of Law Links now," Cain said. "As to whether it will extend to a further degree, I'm not sure. The geographical distance is one of the problems that may be involved."

Another problem, at least for some counties, has been funding.

According to Shelley B. Wojciechowski, assistant director of the Citizenship Law-Related Education Program -- the committee that manages the program for the MSBA -- the goal this summer is to "spread the momentum" to other counties.

"It's really dependent upon local funding and local resources to make that happen," she said.

The Prince George's County branch of Law Links returned this summer for its third consecutive year with 15 interns.

An education in professional experience and etiquette

Law Links got its start in Baltimore back in 1994, and has since spread to other counties.

"We've had, including this year's interns, more than 360 interns that have completed the program successfully," said Shelley B. Wojciechowski, assistant director of the Citizenship Law-Related Education Program, the committee that manages the program for the MSBA.

Applicants must be going into their junior or senior year at a public high school. The interns are then selected based on a rigorous application process, which includes three letters of recommendation, an essay and interview.

"It's trying to prepare them for the college application process," Wojciechowski said.

In addition to working, students also take part in the program's educational component.

The Law Leadership Institute, which meets three hours each week, serves as the students' introduction to both the professional world and the legal system.

"They're honing their business and management skills in addition to the professional work," said Janet S. Eveleth, director of communications for the MSBA. "We try to allow as many students to take advantage of it as we can."

For James Branch and other students, the institute is a place where the students can regroup and discuss their work with one another.

"At our leadership institute on Wednesdays we just discuss the things that we did in the past week with our firm and the different issues that we come across during the week," Branch said.

"We also get to listen to judges, lawyers and different kinds of speakers," he added.

Two weeks ago, for instance, the students took a trip to Annapolis where they had the opportunity to meet with Court of Appeals Chief Judge Robert M. Bell.

"He was cool," said Naima Shoukat, another Legal Aid Bureau intern.

The institute is also an important way to teach the students about working in a professional setting, Wojciechowski said.

"In most cases this is their first professional experience," she said. "Many of the questions ask how they should handle situations in an appropriate way. It's mainly about professional etiquette."