Top: MBA President-elect Christopher P. Sullivan and SJC Justice Kimberly Budd spoke at the program. Bottom: Students took part in a mock trial before Judge Jonathan Tynes of the Dorchester Division of the Boston Municipal Court.
High school students, mentors, court staff, family members and
other supporters gathered for Judicial Youth Corps (JYC)
Appreciation Day on Aug. 17 at the John Adams Courthouse in Boston
to celebrate the close of the 2017 JYC program.
The JYC program gives urban high school students an opportunity
to experience the judicial system and learn about the law through
educational sessions and hands-on internships in the courts from
May through July each year. The SJC first established the summer
program in Boston in 1991. The Massachusetts Bar Association has
partnered with the SJC since 2007 to run the program in Worcester.
This year the MBA once again expanded the program to Springfield in
partnership with the SJC and Western New England University School
of Law. The Massachusetts Bar Foundation served as the primary
sponsor of both the Worcester and Springfield programs, while the
Boston program was funded by the City of Boston's Youth Fund and
the Boston Private Industry Council.
"The program has given hundreds of high school students the
chance to learn about the judicial branch of government through
educational sessions, internships and, for some, a mock trial
experience," Supreme Judicial Court Justice Kimberly Budd said
during the graduation ceremony. "Being part of the Judicial Youth
Corps gives students a behind the scenes look at the inner workings
of our state court system and has inspired some to go on to work in
the legal profession."
MBA President-elect Christopher P. Sullivan was among the
speakers celebrating the accomplishments of this year's
graduates.
"I'm a huge proponent of education, and an even greater
proponent of the legal profession. And I don't think there is a
better way to learn about the legal profession than by seeing it in
action - and this summer our students did just that," said
Sullivan. "I'm sure many discovered opportunities in the legal
field that they never knew existed. I am confident that these
students have gained a deeper appreciation for the courts and in
the Massachusetts legal system."
Sullivan also thanked the students' families, mentors and court
volunteers for their support, including those involved in the
MBA-affiliated programs, such as James Rosseel, the Worcester
teacher and attorney who has run the Worcester program for the past
11 years; Sam Charron, the assistant director and pro bono
coordinator at Western New England University School of Law; and
MBA Community & Public Services Director Elizabeth O'Neil, who
administers the Worcester and Springfield programs.
Prior to the graduation ceremony, JYC students took part in a
mock trial competition before Judge Jonathan Tynes of the
Dorchester Division of the Boston Municipal Court. Worcester
students faced off against Boston students, while Springfield
students served as jurors.
According to the SJC, there have been more than 500 JYC program
graduates since the program's inception. Many have gone on to work
in various professions, including working as prosecutors, defense
attorneys and attorneys in private legal practice. In 2012, a 1991
JYC graduate was appointed as a District of Columbia Superior Court
Magistrate Judge.