Organization Spotlight: Just the Beginning Foundation

Founded in 1992 and celebrating our twentieth anniversary this year, Just The Beginning Foundation (JTBF) advocates for diversity in the legal field. Each year, JTBF reaches over seven hundred students through our education, mentorship, and outreach programs. JTBF provides diversity pipeline, education outreach, and professional development opportunities to students and legal professionals across the country. We change the lives of students from middle school through law school through mentorship and education.

To join JTBF as a scholar, young students (middle school and high school) are invited to apply for the Middle School Law Camp and/or Summer Legal Institute: these programs now serve students in Indianapolis, Chicago (currently our only Middle School Law Camp site), Detroit, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New Orleans, and Washington, D.C. Summer Legal Institute and Middle School Law Camp applications are available on www.JTBF.org  starting in late winter each year; deadlines vary by city but generally fall in early May. JTBF also provides school-year programs for students in Chicago and other cities, including a trip to the United States Supreme Court for students in the Washington, D.C. area. Students, parents, and teachers interested in creating a program for your classroom with JTBF can contact Laura Ramsey, JTBF Program Director (lramsey@jtbf.org) to discuss the specific needs of your classroom.

JTBF welcomes volunteer mentors and program volunteers with all our outreach programs: to join JTBF as a mentor or program volunteer, we invite legal professionals to send their name and contact information to Dana Horst, JTBF Director of Development & Marketing (dhorst@jtbf.org) to be placed on our volunteer opportunities list and to hear more about ways to connect with our scholars.

We also invite you to join us at our upcoming twentieth anniversary celebration and Conference: "Reaching Back, Lifting Up 2012". Held this year in Chicago from September 20-23, 2012 at the Marriott Magnificent Mile (540 N. Michigan Avenue), the Conference is attended by students, attorneys, judges, and other legal professionals at the top of their field. Attendees include General Counsel of Fortune 500 Corporations, leaders in national education and diversity outreach, and our corporate Diversity Partnership Award recipients as well as Pathfinder and Trailblazer Award Honorees. Our Biennial Conferences bring together students and judges for unforgettable educational opportunities.

For more about Just The Beginning Foundation, please see our website: www.JTBF.org, or socialize with us on Facebook and Twitter. For general information, you can also call 312-258-5930, or email info@jtbf.org.