Ruby J. Sherrod
The goal of this column is to enlighten our readers about the private endeavors of attorneys who are part of the MCCA network. By examining lawyers and their work practices by day in contrast to the personal interests that they pursue outside of the office, it is our hope that this series of articles allows our readers to see the other side of lawyers who manage to pursue unique interests despite their demanding careers.
Suzan F. Charlton
Ruby J. Sherrod possesses an instinct for organization and management. She always has. So when National Bar Association (NBA) executive director John Crump approached Howard University School of Law with the idea of collaborating on a summer law camp to provide high school students with an introduction to the judicial system, Sherrod—then assistant dean of admissions and financial aid at Howard—was the natural choice to be camp director. “At first I was uncertain—summer is a busy time for admissions, and of course I’d never run a camp before,” remembers Sherrod. “But working with young people is a passion for me, so this was something I couldn’t pass up.”
Inspired by John Crump’s desire to “grow lawyers” who would more accurately reflect the diverse makeup of the country, Sherrod set to work drafting blueprints for what would become the NBA Crump Law Camp. Established in 2001, “Camp Crump” is a two-week overnight session for 32 students between the ages of 14 and 17. Admission is open to candidates from all backgrounds, but there is an emphasis on enabling low-income students of color to participate. Most of the students receive some type of tuition assistance, and many attend at no cost at all. Housed on the Howard University campus, they are supported by a team of law students, professors, and practicing attorneys. In addition to attending classes in criminal law and torts and taking field trips to courts and law firms in Washington, D.C., the students, whom Sherrod refers to as “young advocates,” compete in a mock trial competition. Winners are honored at the annual NBA convention in August.
Sherrod’s well-crafted plans for the camp have stood the test of time. Logistically, this summer’s law camp experience is very similar to the camp’s inaugural session. “We’ve thought of increasing the number of campers in the session,” says Sherrod, “but the counselors (whom I call mentors) and the professors agree—something would be lost by going larger. A lot of what makes the camp special is the one-on-one special attention given to each student.” Sherrod and her team are clearly doing something right. They regularly receive parent and teacher feedback detailing the ways in which students’ academic lives have improved dramatically after attending law camp. For many, good grades and a future involving college and possibly law school are suddenly viable options.
“When you immerse these young people in an academic environment, the growth and development shown during the two-week period is phenomenal, especially with the young men… The transformation is incredible.”
— Ruby Sherrod
In the very early days of Camp Crump, Sherrod was unsure of the teenage campers. At the time, she was used to dealing with law students at work and a 9-year-old daughter at home. Postpubescent rebellion, angst, and unruliness were new to her. “It took a little time, but pretty soon these teenagers grew on me,” says Sherrod wryly. “When you immerse these young people in an academic environment, the growth and development shown during the two-week period is phenomenal, especially with the young men. I’ve had 6’4”, 200-pound boys, who are star athletes at their high schools, crying because they didn’t win the mock trial competition. The transformation is incredible.”
Although Crump Law Camp is often touted as a pipeline program designed to encourage minority students to attend law school, Sherrod is quick to point out that before participating teenagers make it to law school, they must not only graduate from high school and college, but they must also do very well in high school and college. As a graduate of Howard Law School (class of 1982) and a former assistant dean of admissions at her law alma mater, Sherrod knows what it takes to get into law school: “We’re in a great position to influence these kids to get serious about school and to set goals about completing college. That’s the first step in making it to law school,” she says. “If they go to college, I’m happy; if they go to law school, I’m ecstatic.” (A recent Crump Camp study showed that 100 percent of the camp’s graduates go on to attend college. An upcoming study will reveal how many of these students are graduating from college, and whether any are attending law school.)
“I dissect whatever isn’t working, and I fix it,” Sherrod adds. Not surprisingly, much of Sherrod’s professional life has been spent problem solving. She began her career as general counsel and affirmative action officer at Alabama A&M University. During her time as assistant dean for admissions and financial aid at Howard Law School (1997–2002), Sherrod seated the largest and most academically qualified class in the law school’s history. She also streamlined and improved the timely delivery of financial aid to students, instituted policies and procedures that continue today, and implemented a debt management program of seminars that instruct law students on how to minimize their student loan debt.
Prior to working at Howard Law, Sherrod was deputy director for administration in the national office of Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law in Washington, D.C. After Howard, Sherrod returned to the Lawyers’ Committee to work pro bono on projects including a post-Hurricane Katrina disaster relief program instructing those affected by the storm on how to access legal and governmental services. She translated a law firm-drafted manual from legalese to more user-friendly language. Sherrod also managed volunteers for another Katrina-inspired project: the committee’s important election protection program.
Sherrod, who grew up in the rural outskirts of small town Hollandale, Miss., sometimes sees her younger self in the faces of the camp’s students. “Before I left home at 17 to attend Tufts University on an academic scholarship, I had never been anywhere, really,” she says. “It’s the same with a lot of these kids: Many have never flown in an airplane before or traveled out of state. We’re trying to reach students who typically don’t have an opportunity to see lawyers other than on TV. Our goal is to expose these kids to what is available to them if they are willing to work for it.” DB
Patrick Folliard is a freelance writer based in Silver Spring, Md.
From the July/August 2008 issue of Diversity & The Bar®