The BBA's Summer Jobs program is setting the pace, 37 firms have secured 54 paid internships for Boston Public High School students. Learn more here.
Continuing the Conversation: The Equal Justice Coalition’s Legislative Recognition Reception. For the full post, click here.
If you are a recently admitted lawyer in MA, take a look at the BBA's Practicing with Professionalism Page to register. Don't delay, five dates are already sold out!
In this season of giving, consider making a contribution to the BBF, which is hard at work creating opportunities for Boston’s youth, providing assistance for individuals and families facing homelessness, or helping veterans learn their legal rights. Learn more or donate here.
Ken Parker (Parker Keough LLP) and Megan Low (Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts) walked attorneys through what they need to know in order to help arts and cultural organizations.
The BBA New Lawyers and Intellectual Property Sections teamed up with Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts to train attorneys on ways that they can help art and cultural organizations. The event was a primer on topics such as common art law issues, understanding the legal needs of artists and how to build a client base.
After the training, Beyond the Billable checked in with Ken Parker (Parker Keough LLP), who organized the training, to learn more. Here’s what he had to say:
What do you hope attendees learned at the training?
“Megan Low did a fantastic job of describing the wide range of legal services needed by the arts community and some of the particular challenges of representing artists. I hope that attendees learned about these needs and challenges, as well as about how their legal expertise matches up with the needs of the arts community.”
Why should attorneys get involved in efforts to provide pro bono assistance to arts and cultural organizations?
“Providing pro bono legal assistance to artists and cultural organizations is a great way to get experience solving interesting legal problems while giving back to the community. It can be fun and inspiring to work with creative professionals and it is an opportunity to make a real difference in people’s lives.”
Student’s from Another Course to College ask questions about how to build credit.
On Friday, students in Jerry Howland’s law class at Another Course to College in Brighton had a crash course in credit cards. With the help of Attorneys Adam Ruttenberg (Looney & Grossman LLP) and Patricia Saint James (Looney & Grossman LLP), the students learned the basics of credit and how to build credit while making smart choices about their finances. This is the second session in the four-part M. Ellen Carpenter Financial Literacy Program (you may remember this post about the personal finance and budgeting session).
Take a look below for more on the session:
Volunteer attorneys Patricia Saint James (Looney & Grossman LLP) and Adam Ruttenberg (Looney & Grossman LLP) taught the students about using credit wisely at Another Course to College.
Students answer questions about the difference between debit cards and credit cards.
Students from Another Course to College review the Financial Literacy materials on credit cards.
Next up for the students is the ever popular “Buying a Car” session, which will be followed by the “Consequences” session at the US Bankruptcy Court. Stay tuned for more!
Ben Haideri, a senior at Boston Latin Academy and 2013 Summer Jobs Student, shared his experience in the M. Ellen Carpenter Financial Literacy Program last summer, answered Janet Bostwick’s questions about the Program at the 10th Anniversary Celebration.
At last week’s 10th Anniversary Celebration of the M. Ellen Carpenter Financial Literacy Program, guests got to enjoy a unique experience, seeing the effects of the Program in front of their eyes. Ben Haideri, one of the 4,000 students who have participated in M. Ellen Carpenter Financial Literacy Program since the program began, agreed shared his experience in the Program with party attendees. You may remember Ben (who is a senior at Boston Latin Academy and 2013 Summer Jobs student) from this article or this article—he’s a bit of a legend at the BBA. He took part in the Program during the 2013 Summer Jobs Program, when it was offered as a series of enrichment seminars.
Take a firsthand look at what he had to say:
Beyond the Billable also sat down with him to gain a deeper understanding of what he took away from the Program. Here’s what he had to say:
How have you applied what you learned from the program?
“There are very few programs from which the participants are able to literally walk right out and apply what they learned that very day. The financial literacy program through the BBA, however, stands out as being extremely effective in that regard. Between the day that I participated in the first seminar and now, I have opened a checking and savings account and, more recently, got my first credit card. I don’t believe that I would have been so confident yet careful with such tools that I had at my disposal had it not been for the program.”
What did you like best about the program?
“This program very much epitomizes the learning experience of a student in that it offers the perfect balance between reality and practice. The guest workshop leaders were all professionals who had experience in whatever field they were teaching about, and the financial literacy workbook was just that, a workbook. It combined practice problems that we will most likely face in real life with explanations that are thorough and extensive, attributes that are perfect for those who are learning about financial literacy.”
What do you think was the most important thing you learned?
“The one lesson that stood out the most to me was the one about using credit cards. It may be because I have grown up during a time of general distrust when it comes to dealing with large banks, but I went into the lesson thinking (probably like most people) that credit cards always came with a catch, and in terms of society, seem to have a very negative connotation. Although the credit card companies can be tricky, what I got out of the lesson was just simply to not bite off more than you can chew when dealing with credit cards. The second someone does that he/she is already headed down a slippery slope. The fact is that very few people are able to use cash to buy a car, a house, or even a couch, so, when used responsibly, a credit card, I learned, is a tool that can do a lot of good.“
Is there anything you found particularly useful?
“I very much enjoyed visiting the Bankruptcy Court through the program. While visiting the court, we heard from lawyers and a judge, and it was an amazing experience to be in the presence of people who I look up to. Apart from the experience itself, I would say that since my goal is to become a lawyer, being able to see such people in action is something that I will always find useful.”