Speeches & Teaching
McDermott Will & Emery lawyers invest in their communities by teaching students about the legal system and the legal profession, and by helping not-for-profit organizations and small businesses understand complex legal issues that affect their organizations.
In our Chicago office, for example, McDermott lawyers through the Lawyers in the Classroom program help Chicago elementary school students understand their constitutional rights and the structure and history of the U.S. legal system. McDermott lawyers, in collaboration with Chicago Public Schools, also teach high school students about the various issues to consider before—and the legal rights and obligations that are created—upon signing a contract. In Los Angeles, McDermott lawyers and staff visit McFadden Intermediate School in Santa Ana and, through THINK Together's Career Event, encourage students in sixth through eighth grade to establish career goals.
McDermott's Chicago office, in collaboration with the University of Iowa College of Law's Philip G. Hubbard Law School Preparation Program, hosts an office visit for undergraduate students from universities across the United States, during which students gain a better understanding of the practice of law and develop relationships with McDermott lawyers.
McDermott lawyers also provide general legal training on complex legal issues to nonprofits and small businesses. Lawyers in our Washington, D.C., office, for example, have provided the Sustainable Business Network with updates on legislative and regulatory developments affecting sustainable business practices. Lawyers in our Chicago office have presented on corporate governance and intellectual property through the workshops sponsored by the Jane Addams Hull House Association. Lawyers in our London office have presented to members of LawWorks on employment law issues, and lawyers in our Orange County office hosted an intellectual property workshop sponsored by the Public Law Center.