Inside the Legal World: Lancaster Chamber’s Job Shadow Day Recap

I was honored to host another successful legal job shadow day last Thursday, March 7, 2024, for 15 high school students as a part of the Lancaster Chamber Mentorship Program. Each year, the students are expected to complete at least one job shadow day with a professional in an area that interests them. It is fantastic to see so many young people interested in the legal profession this year.

In the morning, the students observed guilty pleas before Judge Conrad. They learned how criminal sentencing works, the ARD program, and the factors Judge Conrad considers when fashioning a sentence.

Over lunch, the students toured the Lancaster Bar Association and interacted with a panel of attorneys who spoke about their different experiences. Maranda Moyer, Makayla Gilchrist and myself from RKG Law discussed our areas of practice and gave some advice on how to best prepare for law school. Lindsay Casadei of Byler Winkle, P.C. talked about life in a boutique firm. Alex Egner spoke about his criminal law practice and transitioning from the District Attorney’s Office to starting his firm. Lastly, Alexis Driendl of the Lancaster Bar talked about life as a paralegal and their importance in the legal field.

In the afternoon, the students were able to observe Veteran’s Court, a Lancaster County diversion program created to help the program members navigate addiction or mental illness in hopes of getting them treatment without requiring incarceration. Afterward, the students toured Judge Ashworth’s chamber and heard more about all the diversion programs the Lancaster County Court of Common Pleas offers.

Thank you to everyone involved for taking the time to make this an excellent day for the students. They were an engaged group and I’m grateful we could highlight all of the opportunities available in the legal field.