2015 Suit Up for the Future

2015 Suit Up for the Future Session: June 15-26 and July 6-10.

The Louisiana State Bar Association in partnership with the Just the Beginning Foundation and the Louisiana Bar Foundation hosts an annual internship program. This program is available to incoming high school juniors, seniors, and recent graduates who are interested in the legal profession. Students participate in a three-week legal institute, during which they attend an abridged law school session, field trips to law schools and courts, and an internship consisting of shadowing at area law offices and courts. Students provide their own transportation and housing.

The 2015 session will be held June 15-26 and July 6-10. The online deadline: May 8, 2015 has passed. Students who applied have received notification of class acceptance.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES FOR ATTORNEYS:
If you are an attorney who is interested in volunteering some time to talk to this year's Suit Up students - or you and/or your firm are willing to provide a shadowing opportunity for a student, please click here. You can also contact us via email at diversity@lsba.org.

If you have additional questions regarding the program, please send an email to diversity@lsba.org.

WE ARE NO LONGER ACCEPTING ONLINE APPLICATIONS FOR THE 2015 SUIT UP FOR THE FUTURE PROGRAM

Students who applied have been notified of acceptance.

Eligibility - Students should have an interest in pursuing a legal career and should be entering the 11th or 12th Grade in the Fall of 2015 or entering their first year of college in the Fall of 2015.

Program Details

The three week program will be held at the Louisiana Bar Center and is scheduled on June 15-26 and July 6-10, 2015. Students who complete the program will be eligible for a stipend of up to $250.00! Housing and transportation are not provided.

Over the course of the three-week program, students will be introduced to lawyers, legal documents, and the legal system all designed to assist them in pondering one important question, “Do I really want to be a lawyer?”

Classroom Activities Inside the “Suit Up classroom,” students will experience the Socratic teaching method and gain exposure to specified law school courses, including, criminal law, and legal research and writing. Students will also receive a mock trial problem, which will serve as the basis for the legal writing assignment and oral argument that the students will present to a panel of judges at the end of the program.

In a second component of the “Suit Up classroom,” students will be provided with advice and substantive information from guest speakers, and receive instruction in creating competitive resumes, preparing for the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), professionalism, ethics, and workplace etiquette and attire. The time inside the classroom will provide students with ample time to work as a group on assignments and seek feedback from various legal mentors throughout the course.

Attorney Shadowing A second facet of the course will allow Suit Up participants to step outside the classroom and see first-hand what it means to be a “lawyer.” The attorney shadowing is designed to provide students with the following experiences:

a tour of the law firm/agency, including all departments, so that students gain an understanding of all of the support staff that comprise a law firm/agency
the opportunity to join the attorney on outings (such as depositions, hearings, and trials);
lunch with the attorney; and
mentoring and support on the oral argument and supporting legal memorandum being developed by the student.

Students will also prepare a list of questions to ask attorneys whom they shadow so that the student gains an appreciation of the day-to-day schedule of an attorney, as well as the role that lawyers play in society and in the administration of justice. *Students must have transportation to and from the shadowing assignment.

Field Trips Finally, the Suit Up students will attend several field trips. The students will tour two area law schools, the Louisiana Supreme Court, the Court museum, and federal court buildings. During the tours, students will hear from several guest speakers and may have the opportunity to view proceedings at several state and federal courts.

2014 Suit Up for the Future Program

Program To see last year's printed program, please click here. This will give you a detailed look at what the Suit Up for the Future program looks like.

Photos Please click here to see the photos from the three week 2014 Suit Up for the Future Legal Institute. Photos include trips to courthouses, various classroom activities and presenters, and the students' final oral presentations to the judges' panel.