This morning, the Boston Bar Association kicked off the 21st year of its Summer Jobs Program, officially sending 64 Boston Public High School students to work at various law firms, law departments, and legal organizations throughout the city.
The breakfast event featured Mayor Martin J. Walsh, a staunch proponent of providing summer employment opportunities for Boston youth. Mayor Walsh, who spoke about the importance of providing educational and professional summer jobs for teens at the BBA’s Law Day Dinner on May 12th, reiterated his support for the program and encouraged the students to make the most of their opportunity, stating, “You can start to build your career this summer, and you can start to build your dream.”
Doreen Rachal, President of the Massachusetts Black Lawyers Association, offered keynote remarks on her own early professional experiences and her legal career. She encouraged the students to step out of their comfort zones and aim high, building morale and prepping them for the full, stimulating summer ahead.
A collaborative effort between the BBA, Boston Private Industry Council, and the City of Boston to reach a diverse population of bright, motivated high school students, the BBA Summer Jobs Program places Boston Public High School students in law firms and legal departments to give them a better understanding of the legal profession, allow them to earn money and learn during the summer months, and ultimately encourage them to pursue professional opportunities. The students selected for the program have demonstrated their energy, talent, and motivation, and are able to help in all areas of office work. Throughout the course of the summer, students will also complete a financial literacy program, participate in a mock hearing at City Council, tour the Adams Courthouse, and take part in other enrichment seminars.
Of the 64 positions, 14 are funded through the Boston Bar Foundation and generous contributions from donors, and will provide summer work experience at nonprofits, government agencies, and legal services organizations.
Special thanks to Summer Job Steering Committee Co-Chairs Jeffrey Mittleman (Holland & Knight) and Matthew McTygue (Edwards Wildman Palmer) for their careful planning and coordination, and to the firms that have committed their time and resources in accepting these students:
Anderson & Kreiger LLP
Bingham McCutchen LLP
Boston Bar Association*
Boston Bar Foundation++
Burns & Levinson LLP*
Choate Hall & Stewart
Chu, Ring & Hazel LLP
City of Boston, Office of the Corporation Counsel *
Collora LLP
Cooley LLP
DLA Piper
Edwards Wildman Palmer LLP***
Foley Hoag
Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen and Loewy, LLP
Goodwin Procter LLP*
Hemenway & Barnes LLP **
Hinckley, Allen & Snyder LLP
Hirsch Roberts Weinstein LLP **
Holland & Knight LLP
Iandoli Desai & Cronin P.C.
LPL Financial
Lynch, Brewer, Hoffman & Fink, LLP
Margolis & Bloom LLP
Meehan, Boyle, Black & Bogdanow, P.C.
Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo P.C.
Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP
Nixon Peabody LLP
Nutter McClennen & Fish LLP
Peabody & Arnold LLP
Pierce Atwood
Posternak Blankstein & Lund LLP
Prince Lobel Tye LLP
Proskauer Rose LLP
Ropes & Gray LLP*
Rosenfeld Rafik & Sullivan, P.C.
Rubin & Rudman LLP
Shaevel & Krems
Sherin & Lodgen LLP
Shilepsky Hartley Robb Casey Michon LLP
Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office
Sugarman, Rogers, Barshak & Cohen, P.C.
Sunstein Kann Murphy & Timbers LLP
Thornton & Naumes LLP
Todd & Weld LLP
Verrill Dana LLP
Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP
*Firm has committed to taking more than one student
**Firm has funded position for government or nonprofit legal office
***Firm has committed to taking four students
++This year, the Boston Bar Foundation’s M. Ellen Carpenter Fund will be funding summer jobs for 14 Boston Public Highs School students at public agencies and nonprofits this summer. Learn more about the fund here.