“It’s not like TV.”
That’s what Huntsville Attorney Bart Siniard says he wanted students that participated in a recent legal day event in Huntsville to understand about the legal profession.
Twenty teens representing eight different high schools spent a day in Huntsville learning more about the legal profession as part of an event Sinaird dubbed “Legal Day.” The event came about after Siniard says his firm, Siniard, Timberlake & Teague, was frequently approached by students wanting to learn more about the law profession. Originally planned for about 10 students, he eventually had to cap it at 20 due to overwhelming interest. Siniard says he wanted to give students thinking about becoming lawyers a realistic view.
“You see lawyers on TV and in movies and it’s not really like that, I wanted to give them a realistic view of what it’s like to be an attorney on a day-to-day basis,” Siniard advised.
Siniard said it was also important to hear from different types of law professionals. The event featured attorneys representing personal injury law, family law, intellectual property, immigration, criminal defense, as well as a judge.
In addition to hearing from different types of attorneys, students toured a courtroom and learned what a jury trial actually looks like.
He said, “The judge took the kids through jury selection to closing arguments.”
And the students took the opportunity to ask questions.
Really good questions says Siniard, who added, “The judge explained sometimes you have to make tough, hard decisions based on the law. Judges are duty bound.”
According to Siniard, each speaker described in detail the pros and cons of working in the legal profession, including student loan debt, stressful, long hours, and if you do a poor job for your client there are real consequences. But you also get a chance to make a difference.
Siniard reports at the day end each student said they were even more strengthened in their belief that they wanted to be an attorney.
Further Legal Day events have not yet been set, however, Siniard says he hopes there will be more with additional organizations participating.
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