WilmerHale Citizen Teachers prioritize powerful relationships

According to Teaching Fellow, Colin Jones, WilmerHale’s Mock Trial Citizen Teachers are the ideal volunteers.  Led by Anne Bowie, Jerry Facher, Lindsay Horner and other WilmerHale colleagues, students from the Garfield Middle School accomplished more than mastering the art of developing and delivering their arguments.  They formed powerful relationships with their Citizen Teachers who made it a priority to learn about, encourage, and grow their apprentices during the ten weeks.   Colin recently shared the following remarks about his Mock Trial Citizen Teachers’ efforts below:

“As a teacher in this program, I had the rare luxury of observing the relationships forming between the students and their volunteer attorneys as the weeks progressed.   I saw Selena, a beaming young apprentice with a smile that can hardly be hidden behind her braces, work competently and excitedly with Jerry Facher, well over half a century her senior.  I saw the leadership qualities of Lorenzo develop as he worked alongside his attorney Seth Ragosta who similarly displayed the dedication to each and every member of the class.  I saw the sharp-witted Anass salute his attorney “Mr. Michael” with appreciation at every opportunity.  I saw the genuine excitement brimming on the face of the attorney Michael Saji as he coaxed the shy Shekyna into opening up that big smile that allows her to overcome her jitters of speaking in front a group.

The attorneys served many roles, as teachers, mentors, task managers, and as role models for the hard work it takes to succeed in a career.  Some of the firm’s staff even got to show their skills as actors as they played the parts of different witnesses and players in the case.  I can promise that thanks to them, the experience of this trial was one of the most genuine things I had ever seen.  I could see that it opened young people’s eyes to a new world.”