L.A.W. Camp for Teens – whose acronym stands for “Love to Learn - Apply Yourself - Work for Justice” - convened for the first time in July 18 – 20, 2012 after years of preparation and planning. A formal Proposal for the launch was submitted in November 2011. Through classroom instructions in actual Law School classrooms, panel discussions, visits to actual law firms, and mock trials presented in real courtrooms before sitting Connecticut Judges, L.A.W. Camp simulates what is like to be a practicing lawyer. The camp is unique in combining real life elements of law practice into a single camping experience.
Connecticut Superior Court Judge, Angela Robinson and New Haven County Bar Association (NHCBA) Executive Committee member and Chair of the Connecticut Bar Association Diversity Committee, Attorney Sung-Ho Hwang co-founded the Camp to address the disparity in representation of people of color in the legal profession by providing New Haven area teens and legal professionals with the opportunities to share and discover what a career as an attorney actually entails. Because the camp is fully funded, it is offered tuition free, which is a critical and important component of its continuing success.
When LAW Camp was founded, according to the available statistics, 90% of lawyers in the United States were White, as were most law students, whereas People of Color made up over 30% of the nation’s population. At the same time, according to published statistics, the New Haven Public Schools were only graduating around 60 - 70% of its 20,000 students (contrasted to the 90% - 99% graduation rate of neighboring suburban and urban school districts).
Judge Robinson was concerned about this trend, as well as the dearth of opportunities for area youth to be exposed to area lawyers and the legal profession in New Haven. She conceived the idea of hosting an annual camp which could address these dual issues. When she shared her ideas with Attorney Sung-Ho, he agreed that the underrepresentation merited attention and eagerly shared his resources to co-found a summer camp for New Haven County area teens.
Attorney Allana Kembabazi, an intern in Attorney Hwang’s office, provided invaluable administrative assistance in executing the evolving plans. In the time between her graduation from Wesleyan College and her commencement at Yale Law School she contacted Leadership, Education and Athletics in Partnership (LEAP), a community organization whose mission is to provide quality enrichment programming for New Haven Youth, and professional training for Young Adults.
The mission of LEAP aligned with that of the newly founded LAW Camp: providing New Haven area teens with enriching opportunities to work with and learn from New Haven area legal professionals in the hope that both groups would grow and benefit.
Judge Robinson and Attorney Hwang designed the tuition-free camp to engage campers through classroom instruction in real law school classrooms, panel discussions, visits to downtown law firms, mock trials and interactions with lawyers, judges and law students. LAW Camp attempts to simulate what it is like to become a “real” lawyer.
A key goal of LAW Camp for Teens was to develop and nurture leadership and public speaking skills; and encourage analytic and critical thinking skills for the 24-36 campers who enroll each summer.
Overtime, college and law students were incorporated into the camp as Camp Counselors. Equally important to the camp’s mission was offering the New Haven area legal community the opportunity to coach, mentor and engage the campers and counselors. And, over the years, former campers became college students and some also the legal field. Altogether, several hundred high school students and volunteer college and law students benefitted from the program.
The life engine for the camp came from the hundreds of Connecticut lawyers and judges. From time to time, well-known performers and entertainers, such as Clark Jackson, who provided free acting and performance lessons and Curtis “Fifty-Cent” Jackson, III, who donated signed copies of his book to the campers for several years, supported the camp.
Initially, the camp took place over three days at Quinnipiac Law School, Yale Law School and the New Haven Superior Court. Overtime, the schedule expanded to four and then five days and included two more higher education venues, Gateway Community College and Albertus Magnus College.
The inaugural camp was financed by Judge Robinson, Attorney Hwang, and the New Haven County Bar Foundation. Wiggin and Dana hosted an annual lunch for campers and coaches for each of the first few summers. Judge Robinson hosted a Pizza Lunch at the popular restaurant, Yorkside Pizza in New Haven. In subsequent years the camp connected with other local establishments, like Zoi’s and Bruegger’s Bakery. And the Quinnipiack Club in New Haven served breakfast and a place to drop-off and pick up.
The New Haven Superior Court on Church Street served as the site for the Mock Trials, which were the highlight of the camp. The Mock Trials were made particularly special because they took place in actual Courtrooms in front of actual Superior Court Judges. Former Connecticut Supreme Court Chief Justice, Richard Robinson, presided over the Championship Trials between the best plaintiff/prosecution team and the best defense team for the first several years. United States District Court Judge, the late Hon. Jeffrey Meyer, offered his courtroom in the Federal Court building to hold some final trials and the following reception.
Civics First, a Connecticut nonprofit dedicated to advancing democracy and law education, helped mobilize the first handfuls of lawyer-Mock Trial coaches, as well as the Mock Trial fact pattern. Thereafter, the fact patterns were specially written for the LAW campers by lawyer- volunteers, including New Haven attorney, Joseph Murolo.
All camp services, food, facilities and materials have always been donated, ensuring that the campers incur no cost!
LEAP was the original partner at the camp’s inception, by providing campers and chaperones. Later, Amistad High School, New Haven Public Safety Academy, New Haven Youth Court, West Haven High School referred their students to participate, too. There have been increasing numbers of students, unaffiliated with any of the earlier partners, who sought out and registered to attend the camp.
Later, the Connecticut Bar Association through its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee assumed responsibility for hosting, organizing and expanding the camp. This resulted in new camp venues, more camp partnerships and new camp Coaches and volunteers. It also enabled campers to visit more venues, related to the legal system.
For its unique and singular approach to community service, L.A.W. Camp for Teens earned national recognition and awards, including the 2015 NABE/LEXIS Community and Educational Outreach Award, and special recognition for Judge Robinson’s work establishing and implementing the camp by the Young Lawyer’s Section of the Connecticut Bar Association in 2014 and the Lawyers Collaborative for Diversity (LCD) and the Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association.
The camp would not be possible without the tireless effort and support of the legal community. Through it, the New Haven County Bar Association has grown and benefited. Plans to expand the camp are currently under consideration.