BTW Freedom Writers is the Firm’s mentoring/writing coaching program at Booker T. Washington High School in Atlanta. For the past four years, more than 70 attorneys and staff have visited the school weekly to assist their students with a variety of activities designed to improve their reading, writing, communication and life skills. The defining goals of our partnership have been: (i) to apply our skills as lawyers and legal staff to enhance our students’ writing skills, (ii) to see all of our students graduate at the end of their senior year prepared to attend college and (iii) to inspire at least 10% of our students to attend law school and at least one of the students to return to practice law at Kilpatrick Townsend.

As our 79 students now enter the second semester of their senior year, we have already achieved significant milestones. More than 75% of our students have been accepted into at least one post-secondary institution and 78% of those students have received at least one scholarship. The total value of all scholarships to date is over $3.7 million.

Highlights:

Lifeplan
Upon graduation, our students will be the first in the state of Georgia to create their very own Lifeplan in partnership with the Lifeplan Institute. It is our hope that by helping them create a Lifeplan, we can provide tools and support to help them overcome the challenges they will face in their lives.

Birmingham, AL Trip
We sponsored a trip to Birmingham, AL in the Spring of 2009 so the students could see firsthand where many of the monumental events of the Civil Rights Movement took place. The trip included a tour of the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, 16th Street Baptist Church, Kelly Ingram Park and a tour of Miles College. Our students were also able to learn more about their namesakes, the Freedom Riders.

Grammar Bytes
To help the students prepare for their English CRCT test, Associates Blair Andrews and Lauren Estrin, helped to launch Grammar Bytes, an innovative after-school program designed to help students improve their grammar skills.

No Place for Hate
At the start of the 2007-2008 school year, the Firm created a partnership with the Anti-Defamation League’s No Place for Hate® initiative and in May 2008, the Freedom Writers helped Washington High School achieve their No Place for Hate® designation. No Place for Hate® seeks to create more harmonious communities, classrooms and workplaces by combating bias and increasing appreciation for the richness that diversity brings. 

  • Breman Jewish Heritage Museum - In March, students visited the museum to learn more about the atrocities of the Holocaust. 
  • Holocaust Survivor - We were honored to have Jimmy Lichtman, grandfather of associate Lauren Estrin, speak to the students and mentors in April. Jimmy shared the story of his time in Auschwitz and Mauthausen — it was an incredibly powerful day for both the students and mentors. 
  • Rap Against Racism - At the end of their sophomore year, students worked with their mentors to compose raps that championed the concepts of No Place for Hate®. The top three teams were selected to perform at the “No Haters Allowed” concert with special guests Goodie Mob, a rap group out of Atlanta. The winning team got to record its song, “Stop Hatin’,” in Dallas Austin’s studio and has been asked to perform the song at a variety of events.

“Cases and Conversations”
During the four years of our partnership, Kilpatrick Townsend attorneys have come during lunch and discussed various cases with the students to help educate them about copyrights and trademarks, litigation and other corporate matters.