Alston & Bird and client Honeywell have joined to launch a new partnership with Street Law Inc.’s Legal Diversity Pipeline Program.
 
As part of the program, more than 20 volunteers from Alston & Bird and Honeywell recently came together in Alston & Bird’s Charlotte and Atlanta offices to host a Legal Careers Conference for high school students interested in the field of law but who come from populations currently underrepresented in the profession.
 
Featuring case studies and interactive simulations, the conference represented the culmination of multiple local classroom visits by Alston & Bird and Honeywell volunteers who taught such legal topics as contract negotiation, intellectual property disputes, and sexual harassment investigation.
 
Leading the firm’s partnership with Honeywell and Street Law are Alston & Bird partner Ben Pleune, member of the firm’s Intellectual Property Practice, and Cheryl Naja, director of Pro Bono and Community Engagement. For Honeywell, Brian Rudick, chair of Honeywell’s Pro Bono Program and vice president and general counsel at Honeywell Safety & Productivity Solutions; John Beninati, vice president and chief intellectual property counsel; Shar Wilkozek, general counsel at Honeywell Connected Enterprise; David Cohen, chief trademark counsel; and Carrie Sindelar, general counsel intellectual property operations; are helping lead the effort.
 
“We are excited about this partnership with our friends at Honeywell, and we were thrilled to see the students’ enthusiastic response, which really is a tribute to the quality of the Street Law curriculum,” said Pleune.
 
Street Law is a global nonprofit with more than 40 years of experience developing classroom and community programs that educate young people about law and government. The organization’s Legal Diversity Pipeline Program partners with law firms and corporate legal departments with local, diverse high school classes to increase students’ knowledge and interest in the law and legal careers.