CBA Record

GIRL SCOUT PROJECT LAW TRACK 2017 Introducing Girl Scouts to the Field of Law

I t’s that time of year again when the CBA’s Alliance for Women and the Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana are gearing up for the seventh Project LawTrack Program, which will be held from March 2-18. The pro- gram consists of a series of three dynamic interactive evening sessions designed to introduce Girl Scouts to the field of law that will culminate in a half-day mock trial on March 18 in the Federal Courthouse in downtown Chicago. The program introduces girls to the many different opportunities that a legal career can offer, demystifying the por- trayal of lawyers as seen on television and in the movies, and providing girls with the experience of stepping into the shoes of a trial attorney to prepare a case for a mock trial and try it before a real judge in a Federal courtroom. Since the very first

The dates and sessions for the 2017 Girl Scouts Project Law Track Program are: Session 1: Law (As Seen on TV): Thursday March 2, 5:30-7:30 pm, Skadden Arps, 155 NWacker Dr., Suite 2700 Session 2: Law School/Career Day: Thursday, March 9, 5:30–7:30 pm, Chicago-Kent School of Law, 565W. Adams Street Session 3: Prepare Your Case! Thursday, March 16, 5:30–7:30 pm, Seyfarth Shaw, 131 S. Dearborn Street, 24th Floor, Session 4: Try Your Case! Saturday, March 18, 9:00 am–2:00 pm, Everett M. Dirksen U.S. Courthouse, 219 S. Dearborn Street

Project LawTrack in 2011, Judge Rebecca R. Pallmeyer, United States District Court for the Northern District of Chicago, has graciously allowed the mock trial to take place in her courtroom. To participate in Project LawTrack, girls 6 th grade and older are required to complete an application, for which approximately thirty-five girls are chosen on a first come, first served basis. The girls must also sign a written commit- ment pledging to dedicate the necessary time to the program. To fulfill the goals of the program, Project Law Track is looking for female attorneys who would be interested in serv- ing as mentors throughout the three week program. We would like to partner each participant with a female attorney who will work with her during the program, with particular emphasis on helping her prepare for her role in the mock trial, which is the capstone of the program. Ideally, each female attorney volunteer would attend all four sessions of Project Law Track but at a minimummust be able to attend the mock trial prep session on Thursday evening, March 16, 2017, and be in attendance to

support her mentee at the mock trial on Saturday, March 18, 2017. Attorneys who volunteer have an oppor- tunity to meet and work with other tal- ented attorneys from diverse backgrounds and interests connected by the shared desire to give of their time, advice, knowledge, and insights to girls who may be planning a career as an attorney or who are just curious about the field of law. In turn, the girls will broaden their understanding of what it means to be an attorney, experi- ence the possibilities that are available to them by working side-by-side with female role models, interact with their peers and attorneys in preparing for a mock trial, and learn that there are women who care and want to help them explore their future career options.

If youare interested involunteering,

please contact Erica Byrd, Garfield

& Merel, at 312/288-0104 or via

email at byrd@garfield-merel.com.

We will work with you to partner

you with a participant as soon as

they have beendetermined in early

2017. And we promise you it will be

a rewarding experience! Thank you

in advance for your consideration.

14 JANUARY 2017