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Students from the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law have the opportunity to work with students at Arsenal Technical High School in Indianapolis who are part of the Law and Public Policy choice program. Law students work with high school students who are interested in the law as a career path.

IU McKinney is just one of several community partners helping with the effort. Guest teachers and speakers come from Eli Lilly and Co., Faegre Baker Daniels, and the IU School of Public and Environmental Affairs.

The program is directed by Arsenal Tech teacher Karen Markman, who retooled it when the program moved from Shortridge High School. Freshman participants take courses in civics and government, sophomores take constitutional law and public policy, juniors take criminal law and civil law, and seniors are encouraged to take part in an internship, or to take classes at IUPUI or Ivy Tech. Students also can take part in the school's mock trial team. In the photo at left, Markman is with Arsenal Tech's Mock Trial team in a Marion Superior Court courtroom.

"My students enjoy having the McKinney students work with them," Markman said.

The feeling is mutual for the law students, according to the IU McKinney students who volunteered in the program during the Spring 2018 semester: Katie Dickey, David Emery, and Chris Frank, all of whom are third-year students.

Dickey taught middle school in Phoenix for three years as part of the Teach for America program before enrolling at IU McKinney

"I cannot say enough about this program," Dickey said. "Karen does an incredible job of picking topics that her students are interested in. It is very impressive to sit in a classroom and hear high schoolers talk about burdens of proof and mitigating circumstances. The students have a vocabulary and an ability to analyze a situation that I never had while I was in high school."

"Passing on the knowledge I have been fortunate enough to learn has been extremely fulfilling," said Chris Frank.

David Emery agreed. "I believe that we all have a duty to help others," Emery said. "I love working with young adults and find a lot of satisfaction through teaching the next generation of leaders."

Professor Fran Quigley oversees the students working with the Tech program. "It is very exciting to see our students both learning and teaching while they are at Tech, all under the mentorship of a gifted and dedicated teacher like Karen," Professor Quigley said. "And we look forward to some of their Tech students arriving here as IU McKinney students one day!”

IU McKinney alumna Brooke Dunn, '16, an associate at Faegre Baker Daniels, volunteers at Arsenal Tech as part of the program, teaching there through her law firm's Street Law program. "When the opportunity came up to teach at Tech, I decided that was how I wanted to spend my time," she said. Dunn focuses on the contracts portion of Street Law, as well as other business related items that are part of the course. She spent 10 years in banking prior to attending law school, so her expertise in all things business is deep. The aim is to help the high school students gain skills they can utilize throughout their lives. "I've enjoyed working with this group of intelligent, hardworking young people," Dunn said of the Tech students.

Fellow Faegre Baker Daniels associate and IU McKinney alum, BJ Grimes, '16, also volunteers at Tech through the Street Law program. "I decided to get involved because I understand the importance of having a diverse attorney in front of diverse students," Grimes said. "Being able to see someone similar to you in a position you would like to be in one day can serve as a catalyst or motivator to a student. I know that was the case for me. I also truly enjoy mentoring youth and helping them figure out what they want to achieve in life. I also get to learn a lot from them."

In the photo at right, BJ Grimes, Karen Markman, and Brooke Dunn are at the Street Law program's end-of-semester event at Eli Lilly and Co.

The Law and Public Policy program is in need of attorney volunteers, and it's the kind of work that can be a little addictive, according to Dickey.

"I would recommend this program to anyone," Dickey said. "These students make me hopeful for the future of our legal system. We have laughed together about the stories that they tell, we have cried together over stories of wrongful conviction. Next fall, I plan to make time to go in and visit the law and policy classes every once in a while because I've enjoyed it so much."

To learn more, contact Karen Markman at markmank@myips.org