Legal Outreach
Using the law to help New York student interns get to college
Since 2007, Freshfields has provided summer internships through Legal Outreach, a non-profit organisation, to prepare students from underserved communities in New York City to be admitted to college.
The programme uses intensive legal and educational programmes as tools for fostering vision, developing skills, enhancing confidence and facilitating the pursuit of higher education.
Rigorous
Annually, more than 50 Freshfields staff and attorneys from around the global network come together to produce a week-long internship that centres on a corporate law case study.
Almost the entire New York office is involved. The most recent case study involved a joint venture between two companies, with students undertaking due diligence in two groups, with Freshfields attorneys playing different roles. The students went through several rounds of negotiation then make a final presentation to a ‘board’ (also Freshfields colleagues) with recommendations on whether to go ahead with the deal. (Some years involve lawyers in Freshfields’ Beijing office in a case study concerning the loan of pandas to Canada).
The Legal Outreach programme coincides with the presence of summer associates (college students getting a taste of Freshfields before they graduate), who get closely involved with the students. Some summer associates have highlighted the programme as the deciding factor in joining the firm.
Associate Carolina Romero worked with the students during her week as a summer associate and says it was a great experience. ‘It was really rewarding and enriching to see their progression from the beginning of the week,’ she says.
Additionally, the programme provides professional and cultural experiences, which has included meeting with United States Second Circuit Court Judge Lohier, learning expeditions at the Central Park Zoo and an evening on Broadway to see the latest hit play.
As well as bringing obvious benefits to our local community, the initiative is a much-anticipated event for Freshfields colleagues, offering an opportunity to bring together colleagues who might not otherwise work together.
‘It’s been transformational for the students, many of whom have gone on to great colleges. I also feel the program transforms us at Freshfields,’ says Global Partner for Client Sustainability Timothy Wilkins. ‘The programme energises our colleagues through the opportunity to work with new colleagues in different parts of the firm and also by the pride in the collective impact their mentoring has in such a short time on the lives of the students.’
