Haynes and Boone Turns Lawyering Into Student Summer Fun
July, 2017 - Dallas, Texas
Haynes and Boone, LLP is introducing middle school and high school students in Texas, New York and California to opportunities in the legal profession through a series of July events.
The firm is hosting some 90 high school students at Haynes and Boone offices in Dallas, Houston, New York City and Orange County July 12-13 for an interactive workshop that explores life as a lawyer, covers specialty practice areas and delves into negotiation techniques. Students will hear from lawyers who handle litigation, intellectual property, corporate transactions and labor and employment, and they’ll take part in role-play simulations based on real cases. Haynes and Boone’s Law in the Schools Committee launched the biennial initiative in 2015 to get diverse groups of students thinking about careers in law and how to begin preparing for them.
On July 11, the Dallas office welcomes 80 middle school students to introduce them to the legal profession. The middle school program, now in its second year, is held in partnership with Big Thought, a Dallas-based nonprofit that provides enrichment programs for students.
The events, which are part of the firm’ efforts to promote diversity, inclusion and community outreach, are designed to give students who might not otherwise have exposure to lawyers or law firms a better sense of the profession and spark their interest in legal careers. The sessions for high school students include a discussion about college majors and classes to prepare for law school, along with techniques for finding mentors. Haynes and Boone lawyers also will relay their experiences through college, law school and joining the firm.
This week’s events dovetail with Haynes and Boone’s diversity pipeline initiatives, through which the firm’s lawyers connect with high school and college pre-law students. Activities include a series of hands-on sessions covering transactions and litigation and mentorship of University of Texas at Arlington undergraduates.
“We, as a firm, believe that it is never too early to start cultivating the pipeline of talented young people who may someday enter our profession,” said Partner Kenya Woodruff, who chairs Haynes and Boone’s Healthcare Practice Group and the firm’s Attorney Diversity and Inclusion Committee. “These programs also give us the opportunity to model the kind of investment in our young people that is so key to the success of our community and our nation.”
The firm’s diversity leadership has been recognized by Euromoney, Law360 Minority Report and Profiles in Diversity Journal. Earlier this year, the Vault rankings put the firm in the Top 20 in the United States for diversity, and The American Lawyer named Haynes and Boone the most diverse large firm in Texas in 2016.
