By Susie Tennant

As the Bar Bulletin takes the month of June to focus on kids, it is appropriate to acknowledge, congratulate, and celebrate two great firms for their commitment to Seattle’s deserving young people. Stoel Rives LLP and Helsell Fetterman participate in an innovative, educational program that provides paid, professional internships for local high school students.

Like most law firms, these companies have a need for end of the day support, and a strong commitment to promoting diversity in the office and within the legal profession. What makes these companies unique is their willingness to think outside the box with regards to a new internship model by partnering with YouthForce, a local non-profit.

Stoel Rives firm administrator, Arlene Rankin, says, “It has been a great success because the students Youth Force send to interview with us have been pre-screened to be sure they understand the responsibility they are considering and really want to work. The students we see are leaders in their schools, have strong academic records, and are often motivated by the position held at Stoel Rives to consider a career in law as a possibility for themselves.”

A typical day for a YouthForce teen at Stoel Rives includes sorting and delivering mail from the Law Library, inter-office routing of all mail, internal documents, and Fed Ex, sorting, inputting and delivering faxes, and assisting attorneys with individual requests for supplies or documents.

Stoel Rives intern Karla Rose said, “The tasks to someone else may seem mundane, but I knew I was working behind the scenes, contributing to the big picture. I gained practical office experience that can be applied anywhere. I really enjoyed working with the lawyers. Everyone worked at such a hectic pace, and it was great being a part of that environment.”

In addition to the practical business solution of the YouthForce program, the companies find they benefit from the intangible value add as partners in providing the teens with the challenges and support they need to become strong, positive leaders.

“Generally on the downside of advantage, these students need and are deserving of an opportunity to succeed. It is fun and energizing to have the young people in the office and gives us the sense that we are contributing to their futures” says Rankin.

A great example of the caliber of student YouthForce provides, and of the life changing impact the experience offers, can be found by a recent graduate of the program, Adrian Kinsella. Helsell Fetterman hired Adrian when he was a 16-year-old student at University of Washington’s Office of Minority Affairs High School. The high school provides underrepresented students with the academic tools to go on to higher education.

As a young person from a lower socio-economic background, working was not a choice for Adrian; he needed to save for college. With no access to the sort of career-enhancing work he desired, he was working at a grocery store. Looking for more meaningful work, he sought out YouthForce to connect him to a work experience that matched his future goals.

Adrian remembers, “My internship placed me in a setting where I was surrounded with role models and mentors. And these were not just lawyers, but the paralegals and secretaries who worked just as hard.”

A compelling aspect of the YouthForce program is its educational component. The education reports the students fill out are designed to engage and capture students’ on-the-job learning. Every two weeks, they interview staff or colleagues on a specific topic and describe examples of their work or discuss workplace events. Over time, as they continue to become a stronger team member with their employer partner and supervising mentor, the teens come to see their workplace as meaningful environments with learning opportunities behind every new door.

Jessie Harris was one of the first lawyers Adrian met at Helsell Fetterman. “It only took a couple of education reports and break-time conversations for me to feel at ease with him,” said Adrian. “I quickly found that I could always go to him with questions about filing, law, school, or just about anything.” “It was great for me to meet someone like him who had already accomplished many of the things I hoped to do in life. He gave me advice about work, college, law school, and even relationships. He took me to depositions and cross-examinations, after which we would discuss the legal issues raised over lunch. He even wrote a letter of recommendation for me to get into Cornell.”

According to Harris, “Shortly after Adrian’s arrival, it became clear to everyone that he was a self-starter. His enthusiasm for learning added a certain spark to our litigation department. He took ownership of his job as a file clerk and made it part of his overall learning experience. For example, he wasn’t content with just filing a pleading. He wanted to understand its purpose and application. I admired this quality about him and thought it would be a good idea to have him shadow me during several depositions. This took little effort on my part, but the experience was momentous for Adrian. I also recall times when simple questions about a file would some-how transform into discussions about higher education and Adrian’s career objectives. We were all proud and simply delighted when he got admitted into Cornell. I have no doubt he is destined for greatness.

Harris continued, “The biggest lesson I learned from Adrian is that you don’t need to draft a Ôstrategic plan’ or travel to the ends of the earth to mentor a young person. Sometimes it’s as easy as opening your door or taking a moment to answer a question. You’d be surprised at what you might learn in the process. I think YouthForce is a great way to bridge the so-called generation gap.”

As Stoel Rives and Helsell Fetterman have learned, the YouthForce program is a win-win for everyone involved. They receive part-time help for their low level clerical needs. Having a motivated teen on board builds morale and allows companies to demonstrate community good will. The teens benefit from role models, life experience and enhanced career and education goals and have the opportunity to earn needed income for college, family, and living.

“This has been a mutually rewarding experience for us and the teens, and we encourage firms to consider hiring one or more of these students to help with all of those filing, reception, inventorying, and box moving assignments that plague law firms. You will not be sorry,” confirms Rankin.

Congratulations to these enterprising firms for recognizing and committing to a creative and philanthropic solution for their end of day tasks. For more information on how you can hire a Youth Force teen, please call Jeffrey Stein at (206) 344-3310 or go to www.teen jobs.org .