By MATT CHANDLER
mchandler@bizjournals.com | 716-541-1654

For law students who are learning the nuts and bolts of the legal profession in a classroom, Joseph Hanna knows one thing: There is no substitute for the real thing.

Hanna is president of the Minority Bar Association of Western New York and a graduate of the University at Buffalo Law School. He knows the benefits of hands-on experience during law school.

"As a diverse law student, I had an opportunity to clerk for a judge while in law school," he said. "My clerkship gave me a great understanding of the legal process through a practical learning experience."

That experience led him to team up with UB and Judge Paula Feroleto, administrative judge of the 8th Judicial District, to create a program aimed at bringing minority law students together with local judges in a hands-on internship experience.

The program kicked off in the spring semester and to date has paired a dozen students ranging from first- to third-year law students, with judges from a variety of courts.

"Early on, when I became president of the minority bar, a key item I wanted to tackle was repartnering and building a bridge between UB Law School and the (association)," he said. "We always had ties, but I wanted to strengthen those ties because the students are not only the future of the legal community but all of Western New York."

With that in mind, Hanna met with student leaders of several campus organizations, including the Black Law Student Association, the Asian-Pacific American Law Students Association and Latin American Law Students Association, to begin the process of reintegrating the various groups.

"When I sat down with the student leaders, I asked them what they were interested in. They all wanted to know how they could become more active in the courts and have a more practical experience," he said. "I reached out to Judge Feroleto to try and set up what I saw as a very flexible clerkship program. She could not have been more receptive. Her commitment to the minority bar and her willingness to get behind this idea is what helped get it off the ground and running."

Feroleto said she sees it "as a positive step in the further education of the next generation of lawyers."

She praised fellow judges who volunteered to take on students for the semester and allow them broad access to their courts.

"We really have so many generous judges here in Western New York," she said. "They are willing to work with the students - not only having them observe the proceedings but they are willing to have the students come up during breaks in the trials and ask questions about what they just saw. It really does offer a valuable opportunity for these students."

Ann Arnold is senior attorney at the 8th Judicial District Court Help Center. She has been serving as the point person, coordinating the pairing of judges with law students. Though the program is in its early stages, Arnold says student feedback has been positive.

"The judges are so open and willing to work with the students that we have actually had volunteers who don't even have interns," she said. "The students are getting the opportunity to see things and experience a side of the courtroom that they normally wouldn't. They are very enthusiastic."

She said students are pairing up with judges handling cases ranging from murder trials to sex offenses and medical malpractice.

According to Arnold, the program is scheduled to run through the end of the spring semester, but there is some built-in flexibility for the individual pairings.

"It is going to vary, depending on the students," she said. "We've left it up to the judges, and some of the students will be staying past the end of the semester."

Among those who will be staying through the summer is second-year law student Nate Yohannes. He found himself paired with Feroleto for his internship.

"I'm interested in court administration, and with this program you get to choose which area you want to follow," Yohannes said. "So that is how I got involved with Judge Feroleto.

"We had a luncheon to meet with our mentors, which was a great experience. I've also had the chance to meet with the judge and her law clerk, and I'm looking forward to getting into the program with her."

Arnold said for students such as Yohannes, the program - for which plans are already being made to bring back next year - is invaluable.

 "The hands-on learning is so different from reading a book for these students," she said. "They are getting to see some of the best attorneys out there, practicing real law in a court."