We celebrate our students as we conclude our fourth year of the Adopt-a-School program, Proskauer’s signature education initiative for high school students. We leverage the expertise of our lawyers and staff to share their knowledge and experience on a variety of topics including resume writing, interview skills, financial literacy, marketing, and technology. The program currently runs in five of the Firm’s offices: New York, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Washington DC. Students are selected to participate by the principal or guidance counselor at each office’s local Adopt-a-School partner. This year, 166 volunteers have given more than 300 hours of their time to provide meaningful mentorship and skill development to the 92 students in this year’s program.
Since the program’s inception in 2015, our primary goal has been to provide students with enrichment and resources for success in college, careers and beyond. In addition to the workshops mentioned above, we develop the soft skills our students will need to know to be successful now and in the future.
For many students, their initial visit to the Proskauer office is their first time in a formal professional setting. Their monthly visits provide an introduction to a variety of career opportunities that will be available to them in the future. And the relationships each office forms with their students are the key ingredient to the program’s success. Many of the students keep in touch after they have completed the program and share with us the exciting paths they have chosen in their education and careers.
While the core curriculum of the program is the same in each office, we strive to include additional workshops that introduce students to opportunities in their local communities. Just this month, each office coordinated unique programs for further growth and development.
- In New York, students participated in two consecutive workshops with GrowNYC during which they toured the organization’s Union Square Greenmarket and participated in an urban farming project on Governors Island.
- Our Boston students engaged in a thought-provoking discussion with Superintendent Colm Lydon from the Boston Police Department, exploring the role of the police in society and our local communities.
- In Washington DC and Chicago we partnered with Bloomberg Government and Bloomberg LP respectively, who introduced students to additional career opportunities in both the private and public sectors.
- Our Los Angeles class expressed their creative talents through a communal art project with residents at a community center operated by The People Concern, one of the firm’s non-profit partners in the area.
As coordinators of the program, we take great joy in watching the students grow throughout the school year and beyond. Many of our former students have since gone on to prestigious colleges and have ambitious aspirations for their careers ahead. Knowing that the resources Proskauer contributes may help them reach their goals makes all of our efforts worthwhile.
