The three-week program will be held at the Louisiana Bar Center and is scheduled on June 14, 2021 – July 2, 2021. Students who complete the program will be eligible for a stipend of up to $250.00! Students must provide their own transportation to the program. Students have the option of paying a residential housing fee if housing is needed (adult chaperone required). The estimated housing cost for three-weeks is $1,080 and approximately $60 per day. Please contact Cara Traczek at catracze@loyno.edu for more information.
Over the course of the three-week program, students will be introduced to lawyers, legal documents, and the legal system, all designed to assist them in pondering one important question, “Do I really want to be a lawyer?”
Inside the “Suit Up classroom,” students will experience the Socratic teaching method and gain exposure to specified law school courses, including, criminal law and legal research and writing. Students will also receive a mock trial problem, which will serve as the basis for the legal writing assignment and oral argument the students will present to a panel of judges at the end of the program.
In a second component of the “Suit Up classroom,” students will be provided with advice and substantive information from guest speakers, and receive instruction in creating competitive resumes, preparing for the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), professionalism, ethics, and workplace etiquette and attire. The time inside the classroom will provide students with ample time to work as a group on assignments and seek feedback from various legal mentors throughout the course.
A third facet of the course will allow Suit Up participants to step outside the classroom and see first-hand what it means to be a “lawyer.” The attorney shadowing is designed to provide students with the following experiences: (1) a tour of the law firm/agency, including all departments, so that students gain an understanding of all of the support staff that comprise a law firm/agency; (2) the opportunity to join the attorney on outings (such as depositions, hearings, and trials); (3) lunch with the attorney; and (4) mentoring and support on the oral argument and supporting legal memorandum being developed by the student. Students will also prepare a list of questions to ask attorneys whom they shadow so that the student gains an appreciation of the day-to-day schedule of an attorney, as well as the role that lawyers play in society and in the administration of justice. *Students must have transportation to and from the shadowing assignment.
Finally, the Suit Up students will attend several field trips. The students will tour two area law schools, the Louisiana Supreme Court, the Court museum, and federal court buildings. During the tours, students will hear from several guest speakers and may have the opportunity to view proceedings at several state and federal courts.
Interested students should visit:
There is an online application process. Students will be requested to provide: a copy of their last Report Card or Progress Report (an official transcript is not required); one letter of recommendation from a teacher, counselor, minister, or any individual who can attest to the student’s character; and a short essay of 500 words or less on the importance of the American legal system and the role it plays in developing and maintaining our society.
Application deadline: May 10, 2021
Eligible Applicants:
11th grade in Fall of 2021
12th grade in Fall of 2021
Entering the first year of college in Fall of 2021
