Texas Bar Foundation grants CIS $10K for Legal Internship Opportunities
Communities In Schools of Houston is awarded a legal internship grant to support 2022 summer program students
(HOUSTON)— Communities In Schools of Houston (CIS) is embedded in Houston-area school campuses every day, providing on-campus support that empowers students to succeed in school and achieve in life. Since 2009, CIS has partnered with the Houston Bar Association (HBA) to provide the HBA/CIS Summer Legal Internship Program. This eight-week job readiness and enrichment program places academically outstanding CIS high school students in paid internships with Houston-area law firms, corporate legal departments, and public agencies during the summer months. We are excited to announce that the Texas Bar Foundation has awarded CIS a generous grant of $10,560 to support this year’s program. Grant funds will provide stipends to three high school student interns who will serve at public agencies and non-profits this summer.
The $10,560 grant from the Texas Bar Foundation represents a significant investment in the HBA/CIS Summer Legal Internship Program and comes at a time when many Houston-area families face significant financial challenges. This year’s HBA/CIS Summer Legal Internship Program will provide 20 students with paid employment experience and the valuable opportunity to develop transferrable professional skills that will prepare them for life after high school.
Our CIS of Houston Alumnus, Larry Sorto, who participated in the CIS/HBA Legal Internship Program during his high school years, cites this opportunity for giving him the ability to help provide for his family while in school and setting him up on a successful trajectory for life after graduation. The law firm Larry interned for hired him after the program ended, and he continued to work in the legal field for 3 years. Today, Larry is a college graduate and a member of the CIS of Houston Board of Directors, with plans to give back to the community and help set the next generation of students up for success in school and life.
Since its inception in 1965, the Texas Bar Foundation has awarded more than $24 million in grants to law-related programs. Supported by members of the State Bar of Texas, the Texas Bar Foundation is the nation's largest charitably-funded bar foundation.
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About Communities In Schools of Houston
Communities In Schools of Houston (CIS) is an organization that empowers all students to realize their potential in school and beyond. Working directly inside more than 165 schools across Houston, from crisis intervention, trauma and mental health counseling to providing basic necessities and other resources to families who may be struggling, CIS helps educators surround students with a community of support. CIS of Houston Student Support Specialists have been called to help more than 250,000 students at campuses across the greater Houston area. Together, we build a powerful change movement made up of peers, students, and alumni committed to building an equitable path to education for future generations. https://cishouston.org/.