Zelle Hofmann to Serve as Sponsor for the Just The Beginning Foundation

July 15, 2010

As part of the firm's new Diversity Outreach Plan, Zelle Hofmannn will serve as a national and program sponsor for the Just The Beginning Foundation (JTBF), a pipeline program designed to reach out to students at various points along the educational spectrum and give them academic support, life experiences, tools and motivation to keep them in school and help them to see that the legal profession is open and welcoming to individuals from diverse backgrounds.

The JTBF Summer Legal Institute, which takes place in five different cities around the country, is the center piece of JTBF’s programming. It is designed to expose targeted incoming high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors to the law and its related professions. The Institute provides a seven-day program that consists of classroom lectures on substantive legal subjects; logic and critical thinking exercises; written advocacy; oral advocacy in mock trials; panel discussions of judges and attorneys; and field trips to law firms, government agencies, and state and federal courthouses. Additionally, students are provided with information about preparing for college admissions, securing financial aid, networking, and succeeding in higher education. The students’ parents attend the final closing ceremony and also receive information from financial aid and admissions representatives regarding law school admissions.

To learn more about Zelle Hofmann's new Diversity Outreach Plan, please click here.