As high school students from York, Cumberland, and Androscoggin Counties filed into the Moot Court Room there was only one point of agreement; no one wanted to sit in the front row.
They were visiting Maine Law for “The Law School Experience:” a glimpse into life as a law student. The day was hosted by Maine Law as part of a series of events in partnership with statewide Extended Learning Opportunity (ELO) programs, the Maine Courts, the Maine State Bar Association, and area law firms. This partnership was conceived of and has grown over the last two years, largely due to the efforts of South Portland’s ELO Director, Gretchen McCloy, and Scarborough’s ELO Director, Christy Zavasnik, in collaboration with Maine Law’s Dean of Student Services and Director of Admissions Caroline Wilshusen. Their goal is to introduce high school students to the legal profession and the law school experience and inspire them to think more broadly about their career potential. The program is also in the process of expanding into Northern Maine.
The students had been assigned a case in environmental law in preparation for their first “law school” class. Professor Anthony Moffa, stood at the front of the class and asked his first question: What do we have rights to?
A simple question and an impossible one.
Hands went up tentatively followed by answers gesturing vaguely at the Constitution.
A series of progressively more pointed questions and discussion soon had the high schoolers raising their hands unprompted, bringing aspects of their required reading to the professor’s attention. By the end of the class, Moffa was the one fielding more of the questions.
“I think the students were a little nervous for the class with Professor Moffa,” Gretchen McCloy, Director of Community Partnerships at South Portland School Department, said. “Once they started to interact with him and engage with the material they began to feel more comfortable with the rhythm and content of the presentation.”
Exposure to higher education and professional environments helps students see themselves in that setting in the future, McCloy explained. That’s why the law ELO facilitates visits not just at the law school but to downtown law firms as well. Whether it’s a law school classroom or a firm office, it’s valuable for students to experience the reality of legal practice, not just what they absorb through portrayals in popular culture. Wilshusen told students before Moffa’s presentation. “Lawyers are problem solvers, working on national and international crises, and working right here in our communities.” And many of them come away even more interested with more questions.
Liv Walsh, a junior at Cape Elizabeth High School, is one of the students participating in this year’s law ELO program.“I am super opinionated and passionate,” Walsh said. “I got into mock trials because I am a theater kid and like to perform, but I discovered I really like working through cases. I like problem-solving, finding the clues, and also knowing there’s never one correct answer. That’s appealing to me.”
Walsh said she is keeping herself open to any future opportunities but feels drawn towards the world of litigation, in part because of her experiences with the ELO program. “One thing I learned through this ELO is how many people are involved in a single case. There are so many potential roles to fill, and I can definitely see myself in one of them.”
Cultivating interest and passion like Walsh’s is exactly what the ELO experience is about, Wilshusen said.
At the end of class, Moffa closed with a chuckle. “I hope to see you all here, maybe in this room in… eight years? Maybe faster!”
That is Wilshusen’s hope as well. “Our goal is to encourage them to think big about their futures and their ability to positively impact their communities through whatever future career they choose,” she said. We hope that some will pursue a career in law and return to serve their communities.”
