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2008 Howard Bar Mentors

Howard University's School of Law will once again host a Bar Mentorship Program for graduates taking the Maryland State Bar Examination. The program was spearheaded in the past two years by The Black Women's Bar Association of Suburban Maryland, Inc. and the J. Franklyn Bourne Bar Association. This year we will also have volunteer mentors from the Washington Bar Association, Law Professors Division. The program has been extended to American University's Washington College of Law and the University of the District of Columbia so we anticipate a good number of participants.

The Dean's Office sponsored a "Meet and Greet" on Monday, April 12, 2008 in the President's Suite at the campus of Howard University's School of Law. There prospective mentors and mentees had the opportunity to interact. A guest speaker from CLEO's Mid-Winter Bar Preparation Seminar, Professor Barbara Smith, Esquire and members of the Maryland Board of Law Examiners were also present. Our own, Maurene Epps Webb engaged students and mentors about the process of writing and grading bar exam responses. We were also graced with the presence of the Secretary of the Maryland State Board of Law Examiners, Mr. Bedford T. Bentley, Jr. who shared his pearls of wisdom with the third year graduating law students. If anyone knows of law students taking the Maryland Bar who are not already in the program, please refer them to Joel Braithwaite, joel.braithwaite@gmail.com or Dolores Dorsainvil, d_dorsainvil@hotmail.com.

BAR MENTEES OVER THE BAR!

July’s Maryland Bar Exam marked the second year of the Howard Law Bar Mentorship Program, an effort between Howard University School of Law, the Black Women's Bar Association of Suburban Maryland and JFB. This program harkens to JFB's mission to insure the continuation of African-Americans in the legal profession. The effort was spearheaded by Dolores Dorsainvil and Joel Braithwaite.

Several JFB members — too many to name in this column — served as bar mentors providing support to Howard Law’s and UDC’s 2007 graduates during this most trying time in their life. As with all things, that too did pass. CONGRATULATIONS ALL!

HOWARD BAR MENTORS RECEPTION

Thank you to all those who attended the Bar Mentor Meet and Greet event. For those that missed it, it was a wonderful turn out. I also want to thank all the mentors who have volunteered for this year's project.

In its second year, the program has been expanded because of its success: last years mentees have joined the ranks as mentors, essentially doubling our numbers. As a result, another HBCU, the University of the District of Columbia, is now sending their graduates into the bar mentorship program.
There is yet more good news! There is still space for more mentees! If you know of any out of state graduates taking the Maryland Bar, please refer them to Dolores Dorsainvil, at 410-514-7063 or by email at Dolores.Dorsainvil@courts.state.md.us.

For those who are new to the program, this program was spearheaded by two National Bar Association Affiliates: The Black Women's Bar Association of Suburban Maryland, and the J. Franklyn Bourne Bar Association.

We are still accepting mentors wishing to volunteer. Lets get these students over the bar.

HOWARD BAR MENTORS PROGRAM TO EXPAND

Plans have tentatively been made to expand last year’s very successful Howard Law Bar Mentorship Program. Last year, the program yield phenomenal results as sixteen out of the twenty students being mentored passed the bar. As currently envisioned, the Black Women's Bar Association of Suburban Maryland along with JFB will solicit its members to volunteer again this year as mentors for HUSL 2007 graduates planning to sit for the MD bar.

This year, however, the program will likely be extended to include both BLSA’s at American University's Washington College of Law and University of the District of Columbia’s David A. Clarke School of Law. This is possible since we anticipate having more mentors than mentees similar to last year. In the spirit of reaching back, this year we will also solicit help from the HUSL 2006 graduates who successfully passed to serve as mentors in our program.

The program is envisioned as a philosophy more than any rigorous requirements for mentors or mentees. There is a flexibility that the program wishes to retain so that if all a student needs is a phone call on Sunday, then that is provided, if a five minute conversation every day is needed, then that is provided. The arrangement would be worked out between the mentor and the mentee.

Other bar associations have become very interested in running a version of this program. That requires that a person from that association get a list of willing mentors and contact the BLSA at the local law schools to see how many graduates are taking the bar examination in that jurisdiction. Currently, the Washington Bar Association, and the Northern Virginia Black Attorney’s Association are looking to start similar programs. While this program may not have the resources to include BLSA students from the University of Maryland and University of Baltimore law schools, it is hoped that the other National Bar Affiliates local to those law schools could institute a mentorship program. Input from anyone with connections to theses associations and institutions about creating a parallel program ran by those local bar associations will be appreciated.

Currently, there are plans to host a meet and greet for the students participating, mentors, past mentees (to speak about their experience with the program), and Maryland Bar Examiners. Most likely, HUSL will host the meet and greet since it is conveniently located among UDC and AU law schools. Email joel.braithwaite@gmail.com if you want to mentor. Stay tuned for more Bar Mentorship info formation.

May Newsletter
CLICK HERE

President's Message
CLICK HERE

Preparing for Judicial Nominations
CLICK HERE

Howard Bar Mentors
CLICK HERE

JFB/PGCBA Scholarship Golf Classic
CLICK HERE

With
Howard U. Sch. of Law
&
Black Women's Bar Association of Suburban Maryland