eJournal

MBA President-elect Damian J. Turco speaks at the Judicial Youth Corps graduation ceremony on Aug. 11.

Fifteen Worcester high school students marked their graduation from this summer’s Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) Judicial Youth Corps (JYC) program during a ceremony at the Worcester County Courthouse on Aug. 11. 

Established by the SJC in 1991, the JYC program provides hands-on legal instruction to diverse groups of students from urban areas, including its original location in Boston. The MBA joined with the SJC in 2007 to expand the program to Worcester, and it continues to administer the Worcester program in partnership with the SJC with funding from the Massachusetts Bar Foundation’s Fellows Fund.

JYC participants spent six weeks over the summer in paid, court-based internships and attended regular educational sessions to learn about the judicial branch and the rule of law. Throughout the program, interns worked on a Mock Trial and visited and worked in various court departments overseen by court employees who mentored the students.

They also had the opportunity to take part in a shadow day with one of seven judges: Hon. Jennifer L. Ginsburg, Hon. James Gavin Reardon Jr., Hon. David P. Despotopulos, Hon. Daniel M. Wrenn, Hon. Peter Smola (ret.), Hon. Sergio E. Carvajal and Hon. Karin Bell.

At the graduation ceremony, following an introduction from Hon. Daniel M. Wrenn, Regional Administrative Justice of the Worcester Superior Court, MBA President-elect Damian J. Turco thanked the judges, staff members and administrators for their support of the program and saluted the students for their achievements.

“Each of you should be commended for not only choosing to take part in this program, but also for rising to meet the program’s challenges,” Turco said. “I hope that you found your JYC experience to be as rewarding as it was for the lawyers, judges and teachers who accompanied you along the way.”

Additional event speakers included MBF President Angela C. McConney; State Rep. David H.A. LeBoeuf (D-Worcester); and Worcester JYC Coordinators Akosua Agyepong (a former participant in the program) and Luke Rosseel, both attorneys.