Recognizing, Honoring, And Celebrating The Judicial Intern Opportunity Program-For Their Efforts in Providing Opportunities For Those Who Are Traditionally Underrepresented In The Legal Profession.

WHEREAS

, The Judicial Intern Opportunity Program (JOIP) is a program that places minority law students in summer intern positions with the judiciary for ten years now; and

WHEREAS

, Lawrence J. Fox, a partner with Drinker Biddle & Reath has been trying to bring the program to Philadelphia for at least the last five of those ten years; and

WHEREAS

, Thanks to the efforts of Mr. Fox and all those who contributed, the Judicial Intern Opportunity Program will be entering Philadelphia for the first time this year; and

WHEREAS

, There are a total of 13 judges from across the Eastern District, Philadelphia Common Pleas and Eastern District Bankruptcy Courts that have signed to take 17 full time judicial interns; and

WHEREAS

, The program will run for at least 6 weeks this summer and the students will be paid a $1,500 stipend in order to defray the costs of transportation and other expenses; and

WHEREAS

, The Judicial Intern Opportunity Program places about 200 students across the country each year from Los Angeles, Illinois, Texas, Miami, Phoenix, San Francisco, Washington, D.C. and now Philadelphia; and

WHEREAS

, The addition of the minority program will not take away any spots from other cities because Philadelphia gained its spots and raised the necessary funding independent of the current program; and

WHEREAS

, The Judicial Intern Opportunity Program is open to all first or second year minority and/or financially disadvantaged law students who want to do legal research and writing for state and federal judges; and

WHEREAS

, When the Philadelphia judicial interns are finished, they will join a class of more than 1,000 alumni of The Judicial Intern Opportunity Program; now therefore

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA

, That City Council Hereby Recognize, Honor, And Celebrate The Judicial Intern Opportunity Program-For Their Efforts in Providing Opportunities For Those Who Are Traditionally Underrepresented In The Legal Profession.

FURTHER RESOLVED,

That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to Lawrence J. Fox, Esquire as further evidencing the sincere admiration and gratitude of this legislative body.

End