Partnership Will Offer Private Sector Internships and Formal Mentoring Program for the Ronald H. Brown Center Students NEW YORK, June 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Ronald H. Brown Center for Civil Rights and Economic Development (Ronald H. Brown Center) at St. John's University School of Law announced today that it has partnered with AXA Equitable Life Insurance Company and Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP (Hughes Hubbard) to offer internships to students and graduates of the Ronald H. Brown Center's Summer Law School Preparatory Program (Prep Program). This marks the first time the Ronald H. Brown Center students and graduates will have private sector legal internships. Professor Baynes, the director of the Ronald H. Brown Center, said, "These internships are invaluable for the students. They will give them a chance to see what lawyers in the private sector do and then determine whether they want to pursue corporate work as a career. Having this experience after their sophomore year at college will enable the students to make an early decision about their career paths that will allow them to better plan their academic careers." The goal of the Prep Program is to increase participation of first-generation, low-income students from underrepresented groups in law schools by identifying them in their college years and providing early exposure to the study of law. The Prep Program prepares students for the challenges of law school through courses taught by the St. John's Law School faculty, internships with judges and lawyers and a comprehensively designed LSAT exam prep course. "AXA Equitable embraces diversity through our culture of inclusion and the goals of the Prep Program are closely aligned with our goals of attracting, developing and retaining talent from all backgrounds," said Dick Silver, executive vice president and general counsel for AXA Equitable. "We are excited about our partnership and our mentors look forward to providing students of the Prep Program with guidance and advice. We hope that sharing our personal stories about entering and thriving in the legal profession will encourage them to pursue a career in law." "As a firm that has always been at the forefront of advancing diversity in the profession, Hughes Hubbard is pleased to support this very important initiative. By helping to develop a pipeline of talented, diverse attorneys, the Prep Program will make a difference in the lives of these students and in the profession," said Candace Beinecke, chair of Hughes Hubbard. Additionally, AXA Equitable has partnered with the Ronald H. Brown Center to establish a formal mentoring program for Prep Program students. Hughes Hubbard has joined AXA Equitable in providing mentors for the program in its inaugural year. Approximately 25 legal professionals from AXA Equitable and Hughes Hubbard have volunteered to mentor the Prep Program students. Mentorship runs for approximately one year, beginning when the student enrolls in the Prep Program through the law school admissions process. Mentors will provide insight and support to students for the LSAT prep course and exam, as well as the law school application process. They will offer assistance in personal essay and resume writing, along with important experience-based guidance on entering and succeeding in the legal profession. Professor Baynes added, "I am excited about the mentoring component that the lawyers at AXA Equitable and Hughes Hubbard are offering the Prep Program students. Most of the Prep Program students do not personally know any lawyers or have family members who are lawyers. It puts them at a disadvantage in the application process. A mentor will help level the playing field. Having lawyers serve as sounding boards, who can offer the students words of encouragement, will make a huge difference in making sure the students stay on track during the law school application process." About the Ronald H. Brown Center The Ronald H. Brown Center's mission is to engage in legal studies, research and outreach focusing on issues that affect the lives of underrepresented people while simultaneously educating law school students to be leaders on issues of racial, economic and social justice. The Prep Program is housed at St. John's University School of Law. It provides a dual curriculum that targets exceptional college sophomores and juniors and includes approximately 60 students per summer. All participants are subject to a rigorous application process and academic standards, which includes a re-application component for returning juniors. About AXA Equitable In business since 1859, AXA Equitable Life Insurance Company is a leading financial protection company and one of the nation's premier providers of life insurance and annuities as well as financial strategies, and investment products and services through its affiliate, AXA Advisors, LLC. The company's products and services are distributed to individuals and business owners through its retail distribution channel, AXA Advisors; to the financial services market through its wholesale distribution channel, AXA Distributors, LLC; and to corporations and their employees through its corporate distribution channel, Corporate Markets. AXA Equitable Life Insurance Company (NY,NY) is an equal opportunity employer, M/F/D/V. AXA Equitable, a subsidiary of AXA Financial Inc., is part of the global AXA Group, a worldwide leader in financial protection strategies and wealth management. "AXA Group" refers to AXA, a French holding company for an international group of insurance and financial services companies together with its direct and indirect consolidated subsidiaries. For more information, visit http://www.axa-equitable.com/. About Hughes Hubbard & Reed Founded by legendary Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes, Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP is a New York-based, international law firm with over 30 specialized practices. The firm is ranked #6 in the "top firms among the nation's legal elite," by The American Lawyer, as well as #4 in "Top Growth Firms" among the nation's 200 largest firms over the last 10 years. Hughes Hubbard was ranked #1 among the nation's top 100 law firms by Multicultural Law in 2006, the last year the magazine ranked firms, and it is ranked among the top five firms in New York for diversity by the Minority Law Journal's Diversity Scorecard. For more information, visit http://www.hugheshubbard.com/. DATASOURCE: AXA Equitable CONTACT: Elizabeth Reilly, Ronald H. Brown Center, +1-718-990-5789, ; Jo Ann Tizzano, AXA Equitable, +1-212-314-2979, ; Rebecca Rothbaum, Hughes Hubbard & Reed, +1-212-837-6372, Web Site: http://www.axa-equitable.com/

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