Fort Lauderdale High School students will this year continue to get some help from a top local law firm and Nova Southeastern University.
The high school’s law magnet program recently partnered with Pathways to Careers in Law, a collaboration that also includes NSU’s Shepard Broad College of Law and local firm Conrad & Scherer. Last year’s program included a panel presentation on pathways to law. During the spring, students in the law magnet program were able to apply for the Pathways Fellows program. This year, students selected as fellows will go on three field trips – to a courtroom, NSU law school and Conrad & Scherer. One fellow will also get a paid summer internship at the firm.
Studies, including one recent one by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, show that paid internships create more or better job opportunities.
Conrad & Scherer attorney Janine McGuire says the program’s purpose is to “help minority students see the vast array of opportunities available in the legal field, and, as a result, support diversity in legal careers.”
Connections and mentors are important in fields such as law, Broward Schools Superintendent Vickie Cartwright says. “This program will help forge the path for their success by providing resources, professional guidance and strong connections to support their futures in the legal profession,” she says.
At the end of the last school year, McGuire also presented a plaque to the high school’s mock trial team, which placed eighth in Florida and first in the 17th Judicial Circuit. Fort Lauderdale High School traditionally produces elite mock trial and debate teams.
