For the second consecutive year, Steptoe & Johnson PLLC partnered with Street Law, Inc. to bring the Appalachian Legal Diversity & Inclusion Pipeline to a West Virginia high school.
The Pipeline was created as a partnership between Street Law, a non-profit educational outreach organization, and Steptoe & Johnson’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee specifically to target students in Appalachia. The goal of the partnership is to teach students about the law and the legal field and to raise awareness about the vast array of career opportunities available in the legal industry, including right here in West Virginia.
A total of 13 attorney volunteers representing 11 Steptoe & Johnson offices in five states met virtually with seniors in teacher Amanda Vaughan’s civics class at Huntington High School in Huntington, West Virginia. They led the students through a three-part series of lessons on contracts, contract law, and contract negotiation. Part one gave students the fundamentals of contracts and contract law, with particular emphasis on the parts of a good contract, negotiation techniques, and identifying and resolving problems.
The final two sessions divided students into groups for a mock negotiation between a famous athlete and a shoe company seeking an endorsement deal. Street Law developed the curriculum with the goal of equipping students to handle real-world scenarios, such as negotiating a loan or employment contract.
“The mock negotiation was a fun and educational exercise for the students to think critically, use judgment, and make an informed decision. These are all skills that can be applied to their current and future decisions,” said Vaughan.
The final portion of the program was an in-person career exploration activity at Huntington High School that took place on March 9. Steptoe attorneys Russell Jessee, Anders Lindberg, Jim Turner, as well as Jen Trippet, Senior Manager, Professional & Staff Development, met with a small group of seniors in Mrs. Vaughan’s civic class to discuss legal careers and answer specific questions they had. The students and representatives from the firm were highly engaged, and feedback from the live event was positive on both sides.
“It was great to see the students participate in these small group discussions and tell us about their ambitions and career goals. There are so many opportunities in their future, and whether or not they decide to pursue a legal career, it’s exciting,” commented Lindberg.
Original source can be found here.
