NBA High School Intern Program Participants Where Are They Now?

from Nashville Bar Journal | December/January 2021-22

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The full interviews are available to read on the NBA website. The link is listed at the end of the article.

The Nashville Bar Association’s High School Intern Program is one of the Diversity Committee’s largest projects each year. The Program recruits high school students—primarily from Metropolitan Nashville Public School system— for paid summer internships. Interested students complete a rigorous application and interview process with selected Diversity Committee members and successful applicants are paired with participating employers based on their interests. In addition to the internships, selected students complete an eight-week “lunch and learn” series, coordinated each year by members of the Diversity Committee. Through these lunch and learns, students meet judges and the mayor, visit courthouses and law schools, attend panels featuring local attorneys, and more.

For over twenty years, the program has inspired students to pursue a profession in law while forming their foundations for success. It continues to make the legal profession accessible to those who are not afforded traditional paths into the profession. Here are the stories of some of our former Program participants.

Cornell Kennedy, Member at Sherard Roe Voigt & Harbison

When did you know you wanted to be a lawyer? Probably about two weeks into the NBA High School Diversity Program.

What inspired you?

Prior to the Program I didn’t know much about being a lawyer and the legal profession besides what I had occasionally seen on television and that was only trial lawyers. However, during the program I not only experienced the litigation side of law but also the corporate world of the legal profession and from then on knew I wanted to be a transactional lawyer.

What was your favorite part about the Program?

Being exposed to a professional setting. Prior to the program, I had never been in a professional setting. I enjoyed learning how professionals dress, talk, interact, etc. The experience left a big impression on me.

You’re now a member at Sherrard Roe. Tell us more about your experience.

I was invited to become a partner in January 2021 and it

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Battle of the Pros iPad Pro 12.9 vs iPad Pro 9.7

We love to buy gadgets as soon as they hit the market. We are fully aware that you pay extra for being an early adopter. Guess we enjoy being broke (and also being the first kids on the block with the new toy). So, it should come as no surprise that we bought Apple’s big screen 12.9 iPad Pro as soon as it hit the market.

The iPad Pro 12.9

We must admit, we were a bit disappointed when we started fooling with it. Yes, the iPad Pro 12.9 was the biggest, fastest Apple tablet ever made. You can buy a really nice keyboard to go with it, and we did. You can also buy a pressure-sensitive stylus/pencil to take notes, sketch, and really create great art. We bought that too. The giant screen is beautiful, and the quad speakers are incredible. The large screen really works well with split screen apps that are now available in the new iOS 9 series. You can watch movies on the right-side of your screen and edit documents on the left, for example. In other words, you can play and work at the same time; which we don’t necessarily recommend but do occasionally enjoy.

But, we were not as overjoyed with our new pricey toy as we thought we would be. First, by the time we added additional storage, a cellular modem, a Bluetooth keyboard, and the pencil, the price tag was creeping up north of $1,200. For that price we could buy a very nice fully functional laptop (keyboard included). In addition, the large size makes the iPad Pro 12.9 seem less portable. Its size almost defeats the pur-

has been a wonderful experience. I am the first African-American partner at my firm and look forward to being a trailblazer for many other diverse attorneys. Any other thoughts you’d like to share with us? pose of having an iPad. (At least we felt

I would highly encourage employ- that way after we bought it.) ers to consider participating in the Pro- The 12.9” display is so large you gram so that more diverse high schools really need to carry it in a laptop bag, students have this opportunity. This ex- and it just does not have the portable, perience changed the course of my life. compact feel that made the original iPad and its successors so popular. So, while Marina Yousef, 2L the iPad Pro 12.9 is powerful and has at Vanderbilt Law a great deal of potential—especially for School graphic designers and media creators— When did you know it is not a laptop killer in our opinion. you wanted to be a lawyer? What inspired The iPad Pro 9.7 you? We’re not sure if the Apple execs heard

A few months after my family’s im- our complaints about the 12.9 iPad Pro, migration to Nashville, Tennessee, my but we took it as a nod in our direction mom started a minimum wage job for a when they subsequently announced a big employer in town. Despite her grati- smaller iPad Pro, the 9.7. Gadget nerds tude for the opportunity, my mom came like us and our money are soon parted. home crying most nights. At the age of So, when the new iPad Pro 9.7 became seven, I did not understand what was available, we had to buy one immediatewrong, but I was determined to help. As ly, as well. And, as usual, we were excitI grew older, I learned my mother was ed in anticipation of delivery of our new suffering from wage theft and employer gadget. We were certain that the new, intimidation -- she was not alone. Look- smaller iPad would be more portable ing around I realized that my family’s and more in line with the iPads we had struggles were not unique. Seeing my come to know and love, while providing mother’s and community’s helplessness all the “Pro” advantages. Unfortunately, sparked my interest in legal advocacy. we had become spoiled. After using the iPad Pro 12.9, the What was your favorite part about the screen on the 9.7 seemed tiny (yes, we Program? know we complained that the 12.9 was too

The lunch-and-learns were my fa- big; forgive us for being tech divas). With vorite part because I met people with the 9.7 we began to feel like we were just different talents practicing law and looking at an iPhone screen. In fact, it was gained exposure to the many avenues very hard to tell the difference between in the legal profession. Additionally, the a regular iPad or iPad Air 2 and the iPad Friday lunch-and-learns allowed me to Pro 9.7. Yes, the iPad Pro 9.7 has a faster, build relationships with other attorneys, more power processor than the iPad Air who continue to be dear mentors to this 2. Yes, Apple has updated the iPad Pro

day. Tell us what you’ve been up to since the Program.

I believe that the Program opened doors that has led me to where I am today. After finishing the internship, I began college at Trevecca Nazarene University. During my freshman year, I reached out to Raquel Oluyemo (who had become my mentor from the internship) asking if she knew of any opportunities for me to work at a firm. She said she didn’t, but that she was presenting in front of a large group of legal employers and attorneys about the Program. She invited me to share my story and speak about the importance of the internship with the goal that an employer may recruit me after our presentation. After sharing my story, Barbara Bumblis from Neal & Harwell recruited me to work as their part-time receptionist. I gladly accepted, and since Spring of 2017, I’ve worked for Neal & Harwell.

Since then, my NBA and Neal & Harwell mentors have continued to empower me to pursue my dreams. They were with me as I started TISL’s moot court competition, they encouraged me as I considered pursing a position as Chief Justice, and they were there for me as I ran for Student Body President at Trevecca. Because of the relationships I formed and the doors that were opened, I pursued and accepted the opportunity to study at Vanderbilt Law School. What are your plans once you graduate law school?

After graduation, I hope to practice as a transactional attorney in the Nashville legal market that mentored me. Outside of the office, I want to serve the Nashville immigrant community and advocate for them as they continue to pursue their American dream.

Brandon Holt, 1L at Columbia Law School

How did you hear about the intern Program?

After I told my mom I wanted to be a lawyer, she was relentless about finding opportunities that would allow me to explore this interest, including the Nashville Bar Association High School Intern Program. The intern program was different from other programs in one distinct and important way: it was a paid opportunity. Most internships, especially for high school students, were not paid. The intern program allowed me to learn and explore the law at a young age without adding any burden to my family. I am always grateful to my mom for supporting and pushing me to pursue any potential passion.

Tell us all about your intern placement.

During my summer in the intern program, I worked at Sherrard, Roe, Voigt & Harbison. I mostly worked with the firm’s litigation associates and partners on various matters. The attorneys were very generous about including me in a variety of projects, including discovery and document review, deposition preparation, pleading review, oral argument preparation, and, of course, a lot of indexing and filing. Two of the most memorable experiences were attending a deposition and an appellate oral argument with a couple of the firm’s attorneys.

The people at SRVH were, and continue to be, incredibly supportive of

cameras. Yes, you can take great selfies and great pictures with the high-resolution camera that comes with it. Yes, you can even record videos in 4k resolution.

Nevertheless, for just regular users it is very hard to tell the iPad Pro 9.7 apart from the iPad Air. The displays are nearly identical. They run the same software. They use the same apps. There just does not seem to be a great advantage to having an iPad Pro 9.7 versus having a regular iPad (especially the sleek iPad Air 2).

iPad Pro 12.9 v. iPad Pro 9.7

Returning to the comparison of the iPad Pro 12.9 to the iPad Pro 9.7 (yes, we got a bit sidetracked), we believe the iPad Pro 12.9 is actually a superior product. The high resolution and the four-speaker system take greater advantage of the faster processor and superior display on the iPad Pro models. In addition, you have more screen real estate to use the split screen feature that is bundled into iOS 9—now 9.3.1. Of course, you can use the split screens feature on any iPad, but it just works better on the larger screen. Th e bottom line is that while the 12.9 iPad Pro is a bit more cumbersome to carry, you get spoiled once you have used the larger screen. You do not want to return to a smaller iPad model. So, in our opinion, the iPad 12.9 is the winner (but barely) over the iPad Pro 9.7 or just a regular iPad. But, here is a word to the wise and thrifty. If you are not a spendthrift like us, our best advice is to buy neither “Pro” model and stick with an iPad Air 2. Save your money. n

me. Outside of the matters on which I worked, one of my favorite memories was when the firm viewed a documentary I created on the Nashville Sit-In Movement for the National History Day Competition. Partners, associates, and staff were genuinely curious and interested in my work. I remember feeling welcomed into SRVH’s culture through that experience. It allowed me to create relationships with more people across the firm and broaden my exposure to the firm’s work.

Tell us what you’ve been up to since the Program.

It has been over 10 years since I was a high school junior in the program. After graduating high school in 2011, I left Tennessee and attended Princeton University in New Jersey. While at Princeton, I studied History and received certificates (or minors) in African-American and Gender & Sexuality Studies. I led and participated in various initiatives on and off campus, including mock trial; advocacy and policy work for Black students and survivors of sexual violence on campus; and criminal justice policy in New Jersey. During my college summers, I interned at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and at an investment bank, where I eventually kicked off my professional career.

When I graduated from Princeton, I knew I wanted to work and explore more of the professional world before committing to law school. In high school and in college, I worked with many organizations with adjacency to the law, but I wanted to give myself an opportunity to see and do more. I certainly did not expect to take six years before coming back to the law, but I do not regret a single second. In those six years, I spent almost two years working in finance and then settled into a career on the sales and client services sides of technology in New York City. What advice would you give a new high school intern thinking about going into the legal profession?

First, I think it is great that you identified a potential interest, especially at this age. One thing I wish I appreciated more when I interned was the true purpose of an internship at your age: exploration. I encourage you to commit to exploration during your internship. There is a myriad of opportunity within the law and there is also expansive opportunity outside of the law. Participating in the internship does not come with any pressure or expectation that you pursue a legal career. Come to the internship with curiosity and a critical lens. Ask questions that give you a sense of whether you can affect your purpose through the legal profession or if another avenue would serve you and your purpose better. Internships are as much about finding out what you enjoy as they are about finding out what you enjoy less.

To read the full interviews, visit NashvilleBar.org/WhereAreTheyNow

TABITHA ROBINSON is a staff attorney for Nashville Electric Service. She is a co-chair of the NBA Diversity Committee. She is also a board member for the Lawyer’s Association for Women – Marion Griffin Chapter, Women’s Political Collaborative of TN, Sister Cities of Nashville, and on the advisory council for W.O. Smith Music School. Tabitha is a graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Law.

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