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

It's just after 9 o'clock on a Tuesday morning when Paige Kelschenbach settles in to begin her morning at the Erie County District Attorney's office.

 While her classmates at Mount St. Mary Academy are busy worrying about a calculus test, scrambling to finish their history homework or gossiping about what went on over the weekend, Kelschenbach is learning the ins and outs of prosecuting criminals while rubbing elbows with District Attorney Frank Sedita III and his staff.

She's a student intern as part of the Erie 1 BOCES Legal Academy, which is designed to give area high schoolers an in-depth look at the law.

The program, a partnership between Medaille College and Erie 1 BOCES, is in its 12th year. It's run by Wendy Fischer, who says it gives high school seniors a hands-on feel for the legal profession while earning academic credit.

"It is a college-level program, project-orientated," Fischer says. "They are with me five days a week during the month of September, then they begin a series of internships that run Tuesday through Thursday. We meet on Mondays and Fridays during the internships."

It all adds up to a well-rounded experience that gives students a feel for as many as five legal positions. According to Fischer, it takes learning out of the books and puts it into downtown offices.

Kelschenbach says her internship with the district attorney's office cemented her desire to be an attorney, though at 17, her career aspirations are a bit fluid.

"I've always wanted to do something in the legal profession," she says. "When I was growing up I wanted to be a forensic scientist, then I wanted to be a detective, then I wanted to go into behavioral analysis. Now I think I have settled more on being an attorney, and I really like what I see at the District Attorney's office."

Fischer emphasizes the hands-on aspects of the Legal Academy. For Kelschenbach, that became evident when she was invited to sit in on the first of many criminal trials. 

"I've gotten to sit in on two murder trials and it has been really eye-opening," she says. "I went into them really excited, thinking how awesome it was to be there, and then you see the victim's family sitting in front of me, crying. And the defendant's family is there and they are crying and it makes the situation so real. You see the impact these cases have on everyone."

Fischer says that is the ultimate goal of the program: Bringing the rubber to the road for Western New York high schoolers with an in-your-face look at what many see only in a textbook.

Acceptance into the program is a lesson in preparation in itself.

According to Fischer, the Legal Academy  accepts 10 to 15 students annually. And much like the college-application process,  there's an application, essay writing and a formal interview.

Prospective students must maintain a minimum average of 85 average in school and show the ability to complete college pre-level work.

"And of course they also have to show they have some level of interest in the law," Fischer says.

Once selected, interns spend half of their school day away from their high school, participating in Legal Academy sessions. They'll receive four high school credits for their work.

"Because of that, we have to meet New York state standards, which we do," Fischer says. "So they get the working world experience of the internships, the quality of education and the experience of being on a college campus."

As for their eventual career paths, she says not every student aspires to be the next Perry Mason.

"We have students interested in law enforcement, corrections and, of course, a lot of attorneys," she says.

One future attorney is Alex Fultz, a 17-year-old senior at Kenmore East High School. He began the academic year as an intern in the office of state Senator Mark Grisanti, who also maintains a private law practice.

Fultz' internship is with the public defender's office - a perfect fit for someone who aspires to become a defense attorney.

"I see myself as a defense attorney because my brain is more defense-oriented. It's just how I think," he says. "But now, working with the public defenders, you see everything up close and it is a lot harder than it looks on TV."

As much as he enjoys participating in the internship program, Fultz says it was a difficult decision to leave the high school environment for days at a time.

"It was really tough at first, because I was nervous to get broken out of my comfort zone," he says.

"But once you come here, you see how worth it it is. The internships are so valuable," he says. "I am so glad I did it."

Fischer beams like a proud mother as she listens to two Legal Academy students describe the benefits of the program in their first three months.

"One of the most common things I see, year after year, is how these students appreciate all of the intangible things they learn from the program that we, as adults, take for granted," she says. "Things outside the scope of the legal work.

"They learn accountability, professionalism, basically how to conduct themselves in the workplace. And they get the chance to practice those skills and perfect them every day."

High school students soon become familiar with the harsh realities of the legal system, she adds.

For Kelschenbach, that has been one of the  biggest lessons learned through the internship.

"You watch 'Law & Order' and they make you hate the defendant, but I have seen cases where you feel bad for the defendant when they are convicted, even though you know they are guilty," she says. "It is still so sad because their life is wasted now."

For information about the Legal Academy offered through Erie 1 BOCES, contact  Fischer at 983-6094.