LEGAL COMMUNITY GUIDE

BUILDING TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY SKILLS WITH REAL-WORLD EXPERIENCE

“Increasing diversity in our profession is not only the right thing to do, it is the smart thing to do. The Kansas City legal community will realize its fullest potential only when the talents of all who practice

law or aspire to a legal career, regardless of background, are welcomed.”

-Mayor Sylvester “Sly” James, KCMBA Past President

ABOUT THE STUDENT LAW ACADEMY

KCMBF’s SLA is pleased to collaborate with the Greater Kansas City law firms, courts, and other legal entities to provide urban students with a dynamic, three-week-long rotational summer program in June 2019, connecting students with local law professionals and offering experiences to strengthen their interest and increase future success in a legal career.

The Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Foundation (KCMBF), in partnership with local education non-profit The Partnership for Regional Educational Preparation-Kansas City (PREP-KC), is proud to unveil KCMBF’s third signature program, the Student Law Academy (SLA).

SLA aspires to serve as a future pipeline to diversify Kansas City’s legal community. Its mission is to provide underprivileged urban high school students, who would not otherwise have the opportunity, meaningful exposure to a career in the legal profession.

SLA plans to leverage PREP-KC's partnerships with six school districts and three charter schools that enroll over 65,000 students, including 15 urban high schools. The long-term vision for SLA is the cultivation of a holistic career pathway that connects teachers, industry professionals and law schools to build a curriculum that supports students’ interest in the legal profession, both in and out of the classroom. The pathway will provide the opportunity for students to gain a jump start on their future through work on legally related projects, guidance and mentoring from legal professionals, access to college credit, scholarships and much more.

STUDENT LAW ACADEMY INTERNSHIP LOGISTICS

The duration of the internship is three weeks, from June 10th - June 28th for a maximum of 40 hours per week. Transportation and clothing will be provided for each student.

2019 SLA Events

• Professional Skills Etiquette Boot Camp (Student Orientation) - Thursday, June 6, 9 am-3 pm at KCMBA

• Graduation Reception - Friday, June 28, 5-7pm at UMKC School of Law

Objectives of the Internship

• Internships will be structured for a real-world experience and work environment (ex: solvingproblems, working as part of a team, etc.).

• Students will be treated as young employees and maintain professional etiquette andexpectations (ex: dressing and speaking professionally, being on time, and being prepared towork).

• Attorney supervisor will need to be available for the duration of the 4-day experience to provideguidance, structure workflow, oversight, and constructive feedback.

• Students will learn a broad understanding of the organization and careers available in the field(ex: interact with workers throughout the organization’s hierarchy or across departments).

• Students will be provided an opportunity to reflect and synthesize their experience in a positiveand enriching environment.

• Tasks for students will be carefully planned and include opportunities for embedded evaluation.

Attendance Protocol

Student Law Academy internships will be hosted during daytime business hours, Monday through Friday between 8:30 am-5:00 pm. The workday will consist of 7.5 hours included a 30-minute lunch and two 15-minute breaks; overtime will not be allowed. Students will be expected to arrive on time and communicate with their attorney supervisor by email or phone in the event of an emergency.

Students are expected to attend 11 of the 12 assigned work days to meet the 90% attendance requirement. In the event of an absence due to illness, students will be expected to notify their attorney supervisor and KCMBF staff by 8 am on the day they expect to be absent (by email and/or phone call). If no contact is made by the intern, it will be deemed an unexcused absence.

Launching June 2019, this three-week program offers several opportunities to get involved:

Volunteer to Host an Intern - The host firm is responsible for providing lunch Tuesday through Friday.

Civil Defense/Criminal/Public Sector/Courts Week Week - June 11-14

Family Law Week - June 18-21

Plaintiff Law Week - June 25-28

Apply to Become a Mentor

Mentor Commitment Includes:

• Professional Skills Etiquette Boot Camp (Student Orientation) - Thursday, June 6, 12-1pm• Weekly June Lunch with Student (lunch provided) - June 10, Jun 17, and June 24 at noon at

KCMBA• Graduation Reception - Friday, June 28, 5pm - 7pm at UMKC School of Law

Become a Sponsor

Interested in getting involved? Please contact Foundation Director Sharra Wagner at (816) 474-4322 or swagner@kcmbf.org.

1

Student Law Academy Mentor Application Form

Thank you for your interest in volunteering as a mentor with Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Foundation’s (KCMBF) Student Law Academy (SLA). SLA will launch June 10 – June 28, 2019.

Mentors will play a vital role in the experience of students throughout their time in the SLA program. In order to apply to be a SLA mentor, all applicants must first ensure they are available for key activities and dates. Mandatory activities and dates below:

SLA Student Orientation LunchThursday, June 6, 12 – 1 p.m., KCMBA Headquarters

Weekly Monday Student LunchesMonday, June 10, 12 – 1 p.m., KCMBA HeadquartersMonday, June 17, 12 – 1 p.m., KCMBA HeadquartersMonday, June 24, 12 – 1 p.m., KCMBA Headquarters

SLA Graduation ReceptionFriday, June 28, 5 – 7 p.m., UMKC School of Law

I commit to attend all of the above: Yes No

Personal Details

Name: __________________________________________

Address: ____________________________________________________________________

Phone: (Work) _________________________ (Cell) _______________________

E-Mail: __________________________________________

Employer: _______________________________________

Sex: _________

Race/Ethnicity: American Indian or Alaska Native Asian Black or African American Hispanic or Latino Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander White

Education

High School: __________________________________

College: __________________________________

Law School: __________________________________

2

Your Motivation to Mentor

1. Why do you want to volunteer as a SLA mentor? What do you hope you gain from the experience?

Character References

1. Name: ___________________________________ Relationship: _________________________

Place of Work: ________________________________ Position: _________________________

Phone: ____________________________ E-Mail: ______________________________________

2. Name: ____________________________________ Relationship: _________________________

Place of Work: ________________________________ Position: _________________________

Phone: ____________________________ E-Mail: ______________________________________

Background Information

KCMBF’s SLA program is committed to standards of excellence in Child Protection practices. All SLA mentors will be required to provide proof of good standing with the Missouri and/or Kansas Bar and other necessary information to determine capacity to mentor a student. Mentors must verify that they are not now and have never been subject to discipline with any court or state bar.

Are you in good standing with the Missouri and/or Kansas Bar? Yes No

Have you ever been disciplined by the Missouri and/or Kansas Bar? Yes No

If you answered yes to question #2 and/or #3, please provide details below:

I declare that the information I have provided is true.

Signed __________________________________________ Date __________________________

If you have any queries when completing this application form, please contact Sharra Wagner,Foundation Director, at (816) 474-4322 or swagner@kcmbf.org.

The Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Foundation (KCMBF), in partnership with local education non-profit PREP-KC, is proud to unveil KCMBF’s third signature program, the Student Law Academy (SLA).

SLA aspires to serve as a future pipeline to diversify Kansas City's legal community. Its mission is to provide underprivileged urban high school students, who would not otherwise have the opportunity, meaningful exposure to a career in the legal profession.

KCMBF’s SLA is pleased to collaborate with the Greater Kansas City law firms, courts, and other legal entities to provide urban students with a dynamic, three-week-long rotational summer program, connecting students with local law professionals and offering work experiences to strengthen their interest and increase future success in a legal career.

SLA plans to leverage PREP-KC's partnerships with six school districts and three charter schools that enroll over 65,000 students, including 15 urban high schools. The long-term vision for SLA is the cultivation of a holistic career pathway that connects teachers, industry professionals and law schools to build a curriculum that supports students’ interest in the legal profession, both in and out of the classroom. The pathway will provide the opportunity for students to gain a jump start on their future through work on legally related projects, guidance and mentoring from legal professionals, access to college credit, scholarships and much more.

Talent is equally distributed throughout society. Opportunity is not. -Leila Janah

L A U N C H I N G S U M M E R 2 0 1 9

Q: When will the SLA program take place? A: SLA will launch in summer 2019, and span three weeks of June for students.

Q: How many students will participate in SLA? A: Approximately 16 students will be accepted into the inaugural class.

Q: What will the program structure look like? A: SLA will last three weeks, beginning with a student orientation and concluding with an internship graduation reception. The students focus on a different practice area each week.

Students will begin the week with a full day of programming at KCMBA Headquarters or another off-site location (e.g. the courthouse, area law schools, etc.). Monday programming will offer an introduction to each week’s legal area and will prepare the students to be hosted (individually or in pairs) at a law firm within that specific practice area from Tuesday – Friday.

Week 1: Civil Defense/Criminal/Public Sector/Courts Week 2: Family Law Week 3: Plaintiff Law

Q: What is the expectation of each participating law firm? A: Participating SLA Law firms will commit to hosting a pair of students (single students may be placed with solo or small firm practitioners) for a one week period in June from Tuesday – Friday. The week will be determined by the firm’s practice area. If firms practice within multiple disciplines, it will be up to the firm to identify which week they’d like to participate in.

Law firms will be expected to place each student with a “supervising attorney” and will ask the supervising attorney to attend the student orientation and culmination event, eat lunch daily with the student that week and complete a student evaluation at the end of the experience. Firms will be expected to cover the cost of all four student lunches.

The work experiences provided to the student are expected to be rich in learning and as interactive with their supervising attorney, other legal professionals, and clients as possible.

Q: What school districts will these students be coming from? A: SLA will select students from PREP-KC’s partnership school districts, including 15 area high schools.

Q: How are students selected to participate in the program? A: To be eligible for SLA, students will be expected to: 1) complete an online application and 2) interview with SLA program coordinators and a representative attorney panel. Students must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher to be considered for the program.

GENERAL FAQs

Q: Will students have access to professional attire?

A: Students are expected to dress professionally and will be given polo shirts to wear. Students will then

be asked to pair the polo shirts with khakis/dress pants, or an appropriate skirt. Students will also be

asked to wear dress shoes.

Q: What will the typical work day look like?

A: We ask that firms host students for a 7.5 hour work day between 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Students will

not be permitted to work overtime.

Q: Does SLA sponsorship mean a commitment to host students?

A: Support for SLA can be given in multiple forms, and while it is highly encouraged for sponsoring firms

to also host student experiences, the two opportunities are not mutually exclusive.

Firms participating in SLA for 2019 have the unique opportunity to be the Founding Sponsor for the

inaugural year of the program. This level of sponsorship will only be available in 2019, but will be

recognized indefinitely. Other sponsorship levels will be available on a yearly basis.

Founding Sponsor

$10,000

Available for 2019 only.

Summa Cum Laude

$5,000

Magna Cum Laude

$3,000

Cum Laude

$501 - 1000

Order of the Coif

$1-500

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

Founding Sponsor $10,000

Firm logo will be featured on all student internshipmaterials created for the program.

Logo placement in launch ad and thank you ad in TheIndependent, Kansas City’s Journal of Society.

Prominent placement of full-page color advertisement inthe official Student Culmination Reception program.

Prominent placement of firm logo on sponsorship page inthe official Student Culmination Reception program.

Firm logo will be featured on signage and in thepresentation at the Student Culmination Reception.

Recognition by the event chair during the StudentCulmination Reception.

Speaking opportunity from the podium at the StudentCulmination Reception.

The exclusive one‐ me sponsorship, available only for 2019, includes the following benefits: 

Full-page advertisement in the August issue of KCCounselor magazine

Firm logo and recognition in SLA launch article in Augustissue of KC Counselor magazine.

Firm logo and link on SLA page on KCMBA website.

Firm logo and link on KCMBA and KCBMF social mediapages.

Firm logo and link and recognition in PREP-KC’s monthlye-newsletter and social media pages.

Acknowledgement as Founding Sponsor in all mediamaterials, including media advisories and press releases.

Summa Cum Laude $5,000

The Summa Cum Laude sponsorship level includes the following benefits: 

Logo placement in launch ad and thank you ad in TheIndependent, Kansas City’s Journal of Society.

Half-page color advertisement in the official StudentCulmination Reception program.

Logo on sponsorship page in the official StudentCulmination Reception program.

Firm logo will be featured on signage and in thepresentation at the Student Culmination Reception.

Recognition by the event chair during the StudentCulmination Reception.

Half-page advertisement in the August issue of KCCounselor magazine

Firm listing in SLA launch article in August issue of KC Counselor magazine.

Firm logo on SLA page on KCMBA website.

Firm logo and link on KCMBA and KCBMF social mediapages.

Firm listing in PREP-KC’s monthly e-newsletter and socialmedia pages.

Magna Cum Laude $3,000

Logo placement in launch ad and thank you ad in TheIndependent, Kansas City’s Journal of Society.

Quarter-page color advertisement in the official StudentCulmination Reception program.

Firm logo on sponsorship page in the official StudentCulmination Reception program.

Firm logo will be featured on signage and in thepresentation at the Student Culmination Reception.

Recognition by the event chair during the StudentCulmination Reception.

The Magna Cum Laude sponsorship level includes the following benefits: 

Quarter-page advertisement in the August issue of KCCounselor magazine

Firm logo and listing in SLA launch article in August issueof KC Counselor magazine.

Firm logo and link on SLA page on KCMBA website.

Firm logo and link on KCMBA and KCBMF social mediapages.

Firm logo and link and recognition in PREP-KC’s monthlye-newsletter and social media pages.

Cum Laude $501 - 1,000

The Cum Laude sponsorship level includes the following benefits: 

Listing on sponsorship page in the official StudentCulmination Reception program.

Firm listing on signage and in the presentation at theStudent Culmination Reception.

Recognition by the event chair during the StudentCulmination Reception.

Firm listing in SLA launch article in August issue ofKC Counselor magazine.

Firm listing on SLA page on KCMBA website.

Firm listing on KCMBA and KCBMF social media pages.

Firm listing in PREP-KC’s monthly e-newsletter and socialmedia pages.

Order of the Coif

Listing on sponsorship page in the official StudentCulmination Reception program.

Firm listing on signage and in the presentation at theStudent Culmination Reception.

Recognition by the event chair during the StudentCulmination Reception.

Firm listing in SLA launch article in August issue of KC Counselor magazine.

Firm listing on SLA page on KCMBA website.

Firm listing on KCMBA and KCBMF social media pages.

$1-500

The Order of the Coif sponsorship level includes the following benefits: 

2019 SLA SPONSORSHIP OVERVIEW

Sponsorship Benefit Founding Sponsor

$10,000

Summa Cum Laude

$5,000

Magna Cum Laude

$3,000

Cum Laude

$501 - 1,000

Order of the Coif

$1-500

Student SLA Materials  

Media Recognition  

Logo Recognition in The Independent

     

KC Counselor Ad Full Page  Half page  Quarter page 

KC Counselor Launch Article          

Online Visibility Logo on KCMBA, 

KCMBF & PREP‐KC 

websites 

Logo on KCMBA, 

KCMBF & PREP‐KC 

websites 

Listing on KCBMA, 

KCMBF & PREP‐KC 

websites  

Listing on KCBMA, 

& KCMBF websites 

Listing on KCBMA 

& KCMBF websites 

Social Media Logo on KCMBA, 

KCMBF & PREP‐KC 

pages 

Logo on KCMBA, 

KCMBF & PREP‐KC 

pages 

Logo on KCMBA, 

KCMBF & PREP‐KC 

pages 

Lis ng on KCMBA, 

KCMBF & PREP‐KC 

pages 

Lis ng on KCMBA 

& KCMBF pages 

Student Culmination Reception Podium

Recognition      

Student Culmination Reception Signage

Logo  Logo  Logo  Lis ng  Lis ng 

Student Culmination Reception Program

Recognition

Full‐page ad & 

lis ng on sponsor 

page 

Half‐page ad & 

lis ng on sponsor 

page 

Quarter‐page ad & 

lis ng on sponsor 

page 

Lis ng on sponsor 

page 

Lis ng on sponsor 

page 

Student Culmination Reception Digital Signage

Stand‐alone with 

logo 

Stand‐alone with 

logo 

Logo with other 

Magna Cum Laude 

sponsors 

Logo with other 

Cum Laude 

Sponsors 

Lis ng 

SLA SPONSORSHIP SELECTION

Please select sponsorship level:

Founding Sponsor $10,000 (available only for 2019)

Summa Cum Laude

Magna Cum Laude

Cum Laude

$5,000

$3,000

$501 - 1,000

Order of the Coif $1-500 Amount $__________

Firm Name __________________________________________________________________________

Contact Name _______________________________________________________________________

Firm Address ________________________________________________________________________

City/State/Zip________________________________________________________________________

Contact Email________________________________________________________________________

Contact Phone________________________________________________________________________

For sponsorship, please provide the following:

Check Number __________ OR Credit Card Number _______________________________________

Exp. Date________________ Cardholder Name ______________________________________

Cardholder Signature _________________________________________________________________

Please invoice firm instead

Please complete and return form to swagner@kcmbf.org or mail to:

KCMBF

2300 Main St., Ste. 100

Kansas City, MO 64108

Amount $__________

ABOUT KCMBF

Founded in 1979, the mission of the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Foundation (KCMBF) is to serve the community

by creating and supporting public service or educational programs which promote the administration of justice,

delivery of legal services, professional development or respect for the law. KCMBF is a 501(c)(3) and operates as

a sister organization of KCMBA (a 501(c)(6)) with a common Executive Director, but separate Boards of Directors

and staff.

Established in 2014, Legal Connection is KCMBF’s service umbrella. Legal Connection houses KCMBF’s three

primary service programs: Military Matters, Domestic Violence Conference and its newest program the

Student Law Academy. Each of the three signature projects is grounded on three common elements:

Our programs identify and fill gaps in the community.

We focus on lawyers’ skill sets, providing legal services and bringing people together to solve problems.

Our community partners in each of these endeavors are essential to our success.

Also essential to KCMBA/KCMBF’s community outreach are Project Pro Bono, KCMBA’s Partnership with Legal

Aid of Western Missouri Legal Aid and their support of Lawyers Encouraging Academic Performance (LEAP).

About PREP-KC PREP-KC creates and implements at-scale strategies to improve college and career preparation for Kansas City's bi-state urban students. Founded in 2005, PREP-KC works with business and education leaders to change the life-trajectory of the students we serve in six urban school districts and three charter schools.

Over 83% of these students are low-income, and over 76% are studentsof color.

PREP-KC works in 15 urban highschools.

Strategies That Work 1. Workforce Preparation – PREP-KC prepares Kansas City’s urban high school students for KC’s workforce byproviding them with multi-year career exploration opportunities, both at school and in the workplace.

2. Postsecondary Pathways – The 500 students enrolled in PREP-KC’s fivecareer academies receive intensive postsecondary preparation resulting incollege credit, career certification, and relationships with the region’s

higher education institutions and high-growth industries.

3. Math and Literacy Benchmarking – PREP-KC provides powerfulprofessional development to K-12 math and K-3 reading teachers tosupport them in providing rigorous instruction aligned with 21st-centurylearning standards.4. Data Dashboard – PREP-KC has designed and manages an innovativedashboard that gives business and education partners, as well as funders,year-to-year trendlines on progress.

College & Career Experiences

PREP-KC 2016 – 17

Professionals 880

Businesses 178

Postsecondary Institutions 28

Individual Students 6,274

“I have been able to experience hands-on

training and gain knowledge; I’ve really

enjoyed interacting with people who have

the same interests as I do!” – A Harmon

High School Bioscience Academy student

PARTNERSHIP FOR REGIONAL EDUCATIONAL PREPARATION

8 0 0 W. 47 T H S T R EE T, S U I T E 5 2 5, K A N S A S C I T Y, M O 6 4112 P HON E: (8 16) 9 31 -PREP FA X: (8 16) 8 17- 0 8 9 0 WE B S IT E: PR E PKC. O R G

Results That Matter

What’s Next? With support from funders, along with civic and business partners, PREP-KC will: Increase the number of students involved in intensive college and career preparation through career

academies and pathways from 500 students to 2,500 students over the next five years. Connect industry partners and K-12 educators through our Industry-Informed Instruction©. This

strategy pairs teachers with industry professionals to develop classroom lessons that blend academicknowledge with workplace skills through authentic learning activities and assessments.

Offer more interactive opportunities for elementary and middle school students to explore the workworld and industries driving the region’s economy.

©2017 PREP-KC. All rights reserved.

45% of PREP-KC's

Career Academy students

graduate with a workforce credential

74%

of PREP-KC's Career Academy

graduates enroll

in college

81% of PREP-KC

graduates who enroll in college attend a partner postsecondary

institution*

*PREP-KC’s Partner Higher Education Institutions: KCKCC, UMKC, MCC, K-State, KU, and Donnelly