Atlanta (June 2012) ─ In an effort to encourage more young people to become lawyers, Morris, Manning & Martin, LLP is hosting a group of minority high schoolers this month. The program is designed to educate them about what the law is really like by coaching them on skills such as public speaking, business writing and networking, as well as important legal concepts.
“Many people have a skewed, unrealistic understanding of the law because of what they see on television and in movies,” said Clyde Mize, Co-Chair of Morris Manning & Martin's Diversity Committee. “Our program is designed to expose young people to a more realistic idea of what the law - especially business law - is all about.”
While the program helps this one group, it also takes a step toward addressing a much larger problem. Recent studies show that the number of African-American and Hispanic students applying to law school is dropping. This results in fewer candidates for leadership positions such as law firm partner, law school professors and judges.
“High school is not too soon to start thinking about law school,” added Diversity Committee Co-Chair Matt Sours. “Getting them thinking about legal careers can make it easier for them to succeed in college and in life, regardless of the paths they choose to take.”
This is the third year the firm has hosted the program. Seven students are participating in the two-week learning experience, which began June 11 and will conclude June 22.
About Morris, Manning & Martin, LLP
Morris, Manning & Martin (www.mmmlaw.com) is an AmLaw 200 law firm with national and international reach. We dedicate ourselves to the constant pursuit of our clients’ success. To provide our clients with optimal value, we combine market-leading legal services with a total understanding of their needs to maximize effectiveness, efficiency and opportunity. MMM enjoys national prominence for its real estate, litigation, technology, healthcare, intellectual property, capital markets, environmental, green industry, insurance, mergers & acquisitions and timberland & forest products practices. MMM has offices in Atlanta, Raleigh-Durham, Savannah, Taipei, Beijing and Washington, D.C. and an alliance with FGCN in São Paulo, Brazil.
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Media Contact: Terri Thornton, (404) 932-4347, Terri@TerriThornton.com
