Lawyers e-Journal
Thursday, May. 5, 2011
From top to bottom:
Students pose with their lawyer mentors and keynote speakers at the finale event at the John J. Moakley U.S. District Courthouse on April 28.
Left to right: Camille A. Nelson, dean and professor of law, Suffolk University Law School ; Denise Squillante, president, Massachusetts Bar Association; John Gibbons, U.S. marshal for the District of Massachusetts; Carmen M. Ortiz, U.S. attorney, District of Massachusetts; and The Hon. Angela M. Ordoñez, first justice, Norfolk Probate and Family Court.
Keynote speaker Carmen M. Ortiz, U.S. attorney, District of Massachusetts, discusses how mentors helped shape her career.
MBA President Denise Squillante congratulates the students and lawyers who participated in this year’s program.
Photos by Jennifer Rosinski.
U.S. Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz and Suffolk Law dean talk about the importance of mentors at April 28 MBA event
The 10 principles she lives by and the mentors that guided her
are what U.S. Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz credits with her successful
rise to become Massachusetts' first Hispanic, and first woman, U.S.
Attorney.
Surround yourself with people who believe in you, she told
participants of the Massachusetts Bar Association's Tiered
Community Mentoring program at its final event on April 28 at the
John J. Moakley U.S. District Courthouse. "It's really important
not to limit yourself and to not let others limit you," Ortiz
said.
The program -- a collaboration among the MBA, Suffolk University
Law School, Boston University Law School, Roxbury Community
College, UMASS Boston and New Mission High School -- aims to reach
urban high school students by building a diverse mentoring network.
The program matches tiered groups, comprised of a high school
student, an undergraduate student, a law student and an attorney or
judge. The final event also included the distribution of four $500
scholarships to participating students.
"I look forward to seeing you make your way through
undergraduate studies, law school and hopefully admission to the
bar," MBA President Denise Squillante told the high school students
in attendance. "Certainly, you will be well poised for that career
track, should you decide to take it, thanks in part to this
wonderful mentoring program."
Other featured speaker at the event were:
- Camille A. Nelson, dean and professor of law, Suffolk
University Law School;
- John Gibbons, U.S. marshal for the District of Massachusetts;
and
- The Hon. Angela M. Ordoñez, first justice, Norfolk Probate and
Family Court.