Accomplished professionals in the legal community shared their
paths to success at the Tiered Community Mentoring Program
Networking Event held at Roxbury Community College on Feb. 7.
The program, in its fourth year, matches up 10 practicing
lawyers with more than two dozen students from high school, college
and law school.
"Learn from people around you," said MBA Vice President Robert
W. Harnais, a partner at the law firm of Mahoney, Diamond and
Harnais Law Offices in Quincy.
Working in law offices while attending high school in Chicago
helped open the Hon. Shannon Frison's eyes to a career in the law.
She is now a judge at the Roxbury Division of Boston Municipal
Court.
Keeana S. Saxon, deputy general counsel at the Executive Office
of Housing and Economic Development, explained how she fell into a
career in the law. A music major at Spellman College, Saxon took
the LSATs while she was planning her career path following college.
She learned that she loved it. "Being in law school was probably
the best non-decision I ever made," Saxon said.
Other speakers included Roxbury Community College Professor
Carol Liebman. The speaking program was followed by a speed
networking event and question and answer session.
The Tiered Community Mentoring Program was the idea of Norfolk
Probate and Family Court First Justice Angela M. Ordoñez. Its goal
is to expose high school students to information about college,
provide pre-law undergraduate students with information about the
law school admission process and give law students with an inside
view of the practice of law with their attorney mentors.
The program was honored with the 2011 ABA Partnership Award from
the American Bar Association because of its commitment to
diversity.