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Akron muni judge introduces new pipeline pilot program
SHERRY KARABIN
Legal News Reporter
Published: December 9, 2022
Ever since she was a child, Buchtel Community Learning Center (CLC) senior Myriah Fields has been interested in going to law school, but she never realized what practicing would entail or how many different career options there are within the legal profession.
“Becoming a lawyer is something I’ve always given great consideration,” said Fields, 17. “I am very good at analyzing evidence and finding different ways to think about things and I am relentless when it comes to making a good argument.
“I don’t have any lawyers in my family however so most of my understanding of what lawyers do came from watching TV or seeing them portrayed in the media,” said Fields. “I did not really know what it took to be a lawyer, how many different fields of law there are or that your degree could be used to work outside the legal field.”
But that’s no longer the case. It’s all do to her participation in a new court-sponsored pilot program called Raising the Bar.
Created by Akron Municipal Court Judge David Hamilton in partnership with Summit County Executive Ilene Shapiro’s Office, the program is designed to expose minority high school students to the legal profession and the many different career tracks within it.
“The reason this program was started is because Black and brown people are overrepresented in the criminal justice system and underrepresented in the legal profession,” said Judge Hamilton.
“We want to change that by raising the possibility of a legal career among minority students when they are in high school,” said Judge Hamilton. “Whether or not they choose a legal career at the end of it, they will walk away with critical thinking and analytical skills that will serve them throughout their lives, no matter what profession they choose.”
Funded through My Brother’s Keeper, the pilot program got underway on Oct. 27 with 37 sophomores, juniors and seniors from Buchtel CLC.
The students were selected by Principal LaCresia Beecher and are enrolled in two of the seven career pathways at the high school where they focus on learning skills to help them enter a particular profession.
“For the purpose of this program, most of the students are part of the Education Professions & Leadership Pathway, but a small portion selected have chosen the Entrepreneurship, Business & Marketing Pathway,” said Beecher.
Participants meet monthly on Thursdays and receive credit toward their career pathways while fulfilling community service hour requirements.
The curriculum includes interactive materials that focus on team building, critical thinking and deductive reasoning skills. It’s designed to help students identify their strengths while learning about the multifaceted profession.
“Judge Hamilton shared his vision for Raising the Bar with me last year and over the summer we met to work out the logistics and dates,” said Beecher. “Our students are very engaged and intrigued but often what they see of the legal profession has a negative connotation.
“The program shows them a different side of things by exposing them to the various careers within the law and what each one of these people do.”
The pilot ends on Dec. 14, when friends and family will attend a dinner to celebrate the students’ accomplishments.
“I have heard all positive feedback from Buchtel's students as they increase their legal knowledge and gain exposure to different career opportunities,” said Beecher. “I am optimistic that at least one of our students will capitalize on this opportunity and have great success in the legal field.”
While Fields is giving the pilot high marks for providing positive insight into the profession, she is still weighing her career options.
When she graduates high school, she said she intends to join the military.
“College is definitely in my plans, but I am not sure what will come after that,” said Fields, who is enrolled in the Education Professions & Leadership Pathway.
“I do know that I want to help people,” said Fields. “The legal profession is one way I can do that. There are too many Black fathers whose children grow up visiting them in prison because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time.
“I want to stand up for what I believe in and do what I can to make a positive change.”
While the pilot is coming to a close, Judge Hamilton is hoping to continue the program by partnering with other high schools in Summit County.
“There are so many opportunities to help minority students reduce the cost of attending law school,” said Judge Hamilton. “For example, The University of Akron has a 3 + 3 program, which lets students get their college and law degrees in six years.
“But they can’t take advantage of the resources that are available unless they know about them,” said Judge Hamilton. “A law degree opens many doors and the earlier students realize that the more likely they are to consider taking the path.
“As the name Raising the Bar says, we want to encourage our minority high school students to excel at whatever career path they choose, while also exposing them to the possibility of a legal career.”