CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Some Charlotte high schoolers say they're one step closer to their dream after chatting it up with lawyers and judges.
- Over 100 youth attended a conference aimed at increasing diversity in law.
- You can find out more about the bar’s free events here.
More than 100 young people got up early Saturday for a conference aimed at increasing diversity in the legal profession.
Law school admissions counselors went over applications with students. The American Bar Association reports just 18 percent of first year students enrolled as first year law students last year were minority women.
"It helps bring different perspectives to the table, and it's not just about race or gender, it's about everything,” high school senior Marion Teshome says about the conference. “Different people have different perspectives on issues to the same table you know helps shape our society."
Judges shared personal stories about why they became lawyers.
"When you think about justice, that justice reflects the community, whether that's lawyers who practice law, judges who sit ont he bench, probation officers, clerks – the whole system,” Superior Court Judge Carla Archie says.
This is the 12th year the Mecklenburg County Bar has hosted the conference.