Six area law students with diverse backgrounds were given the opportunity for a paid internship at a corporate legal department where they gained insights and practical experiences and learned skills necessary to succeed in the legal profession. The students worked on a variety of projects involving research, writing and interpreting regulations. They all had practice preparing a speech and delivering it to an audience.
“We are very pleased with the success of this program and the tremendous opportunity given to these impressive students,” said Jan Robey Alonzo, President of the St. Louis Chapter of ACC and organizer of the program. “We are very grateful to Williams Venker & Sanders, our Program sponsor, the three Law Schools, six participating companies and the Minority Corporate Counsel Association who contributed to the program.”
The six students who took part in ACC’s first Diversity Summer Internship Program will soon be taking these experiences with them as they begin their second year of law school at Saint Louis University, Washington University and University of Missouri.
The students are Mark Bailey, Portia Britt, Sheila Martinez, Emory Moore, Jesse Sifuentez, Aujsha Weeden.
Corporations that took part in the St. Louis ACC’s Summer Diversity Internship Program were:
- BJC Healthcare
- Maritz
- Missouri American Water
- Savvis
- Sigma Aldrich
- UniGroup.
“I have been so honored to be a part of the ACC Diversity Program,” said Aujsha Weeden, a student at Saint Louis University School of Law. “I never imagined that I would have had such an awesome opportunity to work for in-house counsel after my first year of law school. This program greatly exceeded my expectations.”
Sheila Martinez, a participant from Washington University School of Law, said, “This program was a once in a lifetime experience that most law students never get a chance to encounter. I feel blessed to have had an inside look at the world of in-house legal work.”
The Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) is a global bar association for in-house counsel with 30,000 members celebrating its 30th year. The St. Louis Chapter of the group includes more than 490 members and serves in-house counsel in St. Louis and southern Illinois.
Located in St. Louis, Williams Venker & Sanders LLC represent clients in legal matters ranging from commercial litigation, employment law and health care law to personal injury, product liability and toxic tort litigation. For more information, visit www.wvslaw.com.
