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VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT:
Attorney Hugh McKay
Invest in the leaders of the
FUTURE
by making a difference
TODAY
Inspired by His Mother, Committed to His Students
By Jessica Clarke
Law Clerk for Judge Solomon J. Oliver
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio
It was Hugh McKay's mother, a former teacher at East High School in Cleveland, who instilled in him the importance of reaching out to students of underserved schools and providing them the necessary support to help them succeed.
"She used to say that all these kids need is to know that someone believes in them, and that always stuck with me because she always believed in these students," he explained. "When I visited her [at school] to see her in action, she was a very non-imposing person in a school that many people perceived as rough, but she proved that no one needs to be intimidated or fearful of the public school system as long as you demonstrate respect and commitment to the kids."
Based on his mother's teaching experiences, McKay, who is now the Partner-in-Charge of the Cleveland office of Porter, Wright, Morris & Arthur, LLP, knew that even as a young lawyer, he wanted to help disadvantaged students. He started by becoming actively involved in the Cleveland Bar Association, especially in programs involving school and school-related initiatives.
In 2006, he became President of the Cleveland Bar Association, and started the 3Rs (Rights, Responsibilities, and Realities) Program, which is a partnership between the Cleveland Bar Association and the Cleveland Municipal School District. The purpose of the program is to help prepare students for the Ohio Graduation Test, while also teaching them about the U.S. Constitution and the legal system and providing career counseling. The program sends more than 600 attorney volunteers to participating schools.
Given the success of the 3Rs Program, Chief Justice Moyer, who conceived of the Institute, knew that McKay would be a stellar addition to help jumpstart the program. McKay was excited to be involved. He currently serves on the Institute's Governing Board as Vice President and has already had a large impact on the program. He recently arranged for various law firms across the state to provide internships to Institute participants who completed the classroom portion the previous summer.
In describing the internship program, McKay explained, "it followed up with the students who have already had a prior summer under their belts, and who had already established themselves as committed, capable, and great potential lawyers." McKay noted that nearly all of the students returned for the second summer law firm experience, which he found to be beneficial not just for the students but the attorneys in these firms as well. "Lawyers gain as much inspiration from the kids as they do from us."
McKay even spoke to some of the students recently about their summer experience in these firms, and he described them as "totally positive and effusive about their experience."
"They understand that being a lawyer is not always as glamorous as what they see on TV, and I was concerned that it would burst their bubble," he said. "But they really loved the nuts and bolts and seeing the non-glamorous side of private practice, which was not something they had ever seen or heard about."
While McKay is not sure whether all of the students will decide to pursue a career in law, he is certain that they will nonetheless come away from their Institute experience with a greater understanding of what lawyers do and what it takes to practice law. He has observed a great boost in their confidence and self-esteem, which is an improvement that he believes is necessary for them to continue to succeed.
In the future, McKay hopes that law students, attorneys, and law firms will maintain their involvement with the Institute. He would like to see the program continue to expand, reaching more and more students across the state, furthering his mother's mission.
As an LLI donor, you have the unique opportunity to help impact the life of a young person in Ohio. We know you share our goal of preparing these students to succeed in the classroom and in life. While LLI was originally supported through a grant from the Ohio Supreme Court by the Ohio Legislature, the program's funding was a victim of budget cuts in 2009. The Ohio Bar Foundation stepped in to keep the program running and LLI now relies heavily on donations from individuals, organizations, and foundations to operate its eight programs across six Ohio cities. You can support LLI in many different ways as a principal donor:
Give in Honor of Someone
Set up an Automatic Gift
Make a One-Time Donation
Sponsor an Event
Sponsor a Student
CONTACT US FOR MORE INFORMATION.
The Law and Leadership Institute offers several volunteer opportunities for lawyers, law students and legal professionals who are interested in making a difference in the lives of our students. LLI is currently in need of lawyers and law students to serve in our mentoring program and law firms to host student interns. LLI also welcomes guest speakers, including, but not limited to, practicing attorneys, in-house counsel, judges and elected officials.
Volunteers from varied backgrounds, such as accountants, media consultants, teachers, law students and others, serve on committees necessary to develop the curriculum, deliver the programming, assign mentors, identify internships, write news reports, mentor LLI scholars and to ensure LLI delivers the best possible experience for these future leaders.
The Law and Leadership Institute is looking for bright and motivated students from Akron, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton and Toledo who show academic and leadership potential, but lack access to the resources and opportunities that can foster their success. Middle school teachers can nominate current eighth-grade students to participate in the LLI.
The deadline for student nominations is April 15.
CLICK HERE TO NOMINATE A STUDENT.
