Lewis Rice Gives Aspiring Attorneys from Harris-Stowe State University Insight into Legal Practice

St. Louis-based law firm Lewis Rice welcomed De’Na Newborn, a senior at Harris-Stowe State University (HSSU) and Jordyn Williams, a rising junior at HSSU for a paid summer internship as part of the annual Lewis Rice HSSU Internship program.

The summer internship offers aspiring lawyers from HSSU the opportunity to connect and engage with Lewis Rice’s attorneys and staff as well as gain valuable insights into legal practice and operations in a dynamic, full-service law firm. In addition to tackling a variety of projects based on their interests, HSSU interns meet with attorneys from Lewis Rice’s dozens of practice groups throughout the summer.

Newborn is set to graduate this December with her bachelor’s degree in political science with a concentration in urban politics and a minor in psychology. During her time at HSSU, she has been involved in organizations including the Student Government Association, the Hornet Keeper Peer Mentor Program, LGBTQIA Alliance, the Honors College, the National Society of Leadership and Success, and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc.

“This internship has exposed me to many aspects of law, and has shown me the amount of reading and preparation the practice of law entails,” Newborn said. “It has also allowed me to be around different types of people with different mindsets, bettering my communication and interpersonal skills. I have enjoyed this experience and appreciate the opportunity to learn and grow.”

Williams is a political science pre-law major at HSSU where she is involved in the TRIO Student Support Services program and HSSU’s NAACP chapter. She also works in the HSSU’s Office of Admissions where she gives campus tours to prospective students and parents among other activities.

“At Lewis Rice I have learned so much about how to prepare myself for law school and my future career in law,” Williams said. “This experience has been a major steppingstone, getting me closer to where I see myself in the future. I’d like to thank Ron Norwood and Jerina Phillips for giving me some amazing advice, educating me about their own experiences in law, and motivating me to continue to work hard. I am grateful for the incredibly valuable connections I’ve made at the firm.”

The Lewis Rice HSSU Internship program is part of the firm’s “Next Level” Diversity and Inclusion programs created to proactively promote diversity, equity and inclusion in the legal industry.