On Saturday, February 1st, Temple Law’s chapter of the National Lawyers Guild partnered with the Youth Sentencing and Reentry Project (YSRP) to host a two-hour workshop for former Juvenile Lifers and reentering citizens. The Employment & Entrepreneurship Workshop was designed to address three crucial barriers to reentry: Employment, Education, and Technology.
Led by Celia Givens LAW ‘21 and Amando Dominick LAW ’21 and staffed by Temple Law students, the workshop was split into three stations that rotated throughout the event. Students at the Employment Station performed mock interviews and provided information on both employers that hire people with convictions and Philadelphia’s “Ban the Box” initiative. At the Education Station, reentering citizens could find information on area community colleges, vocational and tech programs, and potential scholarships and funds available specifically to them. Students at the Technology Station assisted participants with building resumes and converting paper resumes into PDFs. Law students ran tutorials on navigating and responding to online job offering sites, and installing and navigating apps like Google Maps and Gmail.
“Working with YSRP clients was an incredible opportunity to learn from them about their experiences, while helping them edit their resumes and access important employment and education information. It was refreshing to be able to step out of the classroom and work with clients,” said Mona Alsadi LAW ‘21. “The experience reminded me of what brought me to law school in the first place – the desire to help and empower others.”
“It is a tremendous pleasure to be back at Temple Law School in my new position as Senior Advisor to Youth Sentencing and Reentry Project,” said Professor Myers, who helped to organize the workshop. “The incredible NLG students embraced their roles as advisors and counselors to returning citizens, many after decades of incarceration. The students worked with deep understanding and concern to help them navigate many daunting challenges to Prison Reentry. The participants were enthusiastic and appreciative.”
To cap off the productive day, both participants and law students gathered in the Liacouras Center to watch the Temple Owls Men’s Basketball team defeat the East Carolina Pirates.
