Wiley Rein Hosts Legal Career Program for Students from Academies at Anacostia for Fourth Consecutive Year

Washington, DC—Last week Wiley Rein welcomed a group of high school students from The Academies at Anacostia in Washington, DC, to its offices to learn first-hand what it means to be a lawyer. The firm has organized this special on-site program for four years in a row through its involvement with the National Association for Law Placement (NALP)/Street Law Legal Diversity Pipeline Program, which encourages high school students of all backgrounds to pursue careers in the law.

“We’re delighted to be a part of the Street Law Program and to share our professional experience and knowledge with the students in the Washington, DC area,” said Managing Partner Peter D. Shields. “It’s a pleasure for our attorneys and staff to get to know all of the students and we hope they enjoy the day as much as we do.”

Twenty-one Wiley Rein lawyers joined together with in-house counsel from a client company to lead workshops enabling the students to delve into contracts law and a moot court case involving the Fourth Amendment. The students also attended a lunch with Wiley Rein lawyers and professional staff, where they had an opportunity to learn about legal careers and discover how the firm’s employees and lawyers found their own career paths.

The on-site program at the firm was preceded by classroom visits at the school, in which students also were taught by Wiley Rein attorneys and in-house counsel. These sessions prepared them for the in-depth and interactive learning program held at the firm.

The program, created by NALP and Street Law Inc., pairs law firms with high schools in their communities. Attorney volunteers work with a diverse group of talented young people, teaching them about legal concepts, offering social support, and introducing them to career paths in the field of law.

Wiley Rein’s involvement with NALP/Street Law builds upon the firm’s commitment to promoting diversity in the legal profession and its long history of helping attorneys share their knowledge with local students who are interested in pursuing legal careers.