The Ronald H. Brown Center for Civil Rights and Economic Development at St. John's University School of Law Partners with AXA Eq
June 23 2009 - 9:00AM
PR Newswire (US)
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/
Copyright