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Public Service Enterprise Group Incorporated, the parent company of New Jersey's largest utility, is trying to figure out which alternative energy source is the best bet for the future. This summer PSEG's law department got its interns involved by asking them to debate the merits of wind and solar power.

The debate was the main event of the week that the eight interns spent at PSEG's Newark headquarters in June. All of the interns will be sophomores at local high schools this fall.

"We picked a [debate] topic that is a major focus of ours," says David Falck, PSEG's senior vice president of law. The company recently began a loan program to spur investment in solar power, and also announced a plan to build a wind farm off the New Jersey coast.

The students who interned at PSEG are all taking part in a college preparatory program run by the New Jersey Law & Education Empowerment Project. "We are what's called a pipeline diversity program," says NJLEEP executive director Craig Livermore, explaining that one of its main goals is to introduce young minority students to the law. The students in NJLEEP's program interned at a variety of law offices around the state, including Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey and Prudential Financial, Inc.

Six of the interns at PSEG were African American, one was a Latina, and another was of Guyanese descent. That was a plus for the company, according to Falck: "We want to attract a diverse group so that the makeup of our employees mirrors the communities we serve."

More than 20 members of PSEG's law department helped plan its intern program. Assistant general regulatory counsel Sheree Kelly says that the debate was chosen as the focus because "public speaking is an important part of being a lawyer." Kelly adds, "Whether you are talking to a client or a judge, it's essential to have good public speaking skills and be able to convey ideas clearly and concisely."

The interns were divided into two teams-one arguing for wind power, and one for solar. "We had a lot of presenters explain to the kids about solar and wind projects, and then we explained how as attorneys we support those types of projects," says senior attorney Kieran Brown, who advised the wind team. "They talked to litigators and contract and environmental attorneys in our company, so they really saw and understood how each practice area supports a renewable energy project," adds Brown.

"The mentors taught us how to work together as a team," says Faatimah Jafiq, one of the students on the wind team. (Her group won the debate, according to a panel of judges composed of PSEG officials.) "We also found out what our mentors' jobs were and what role they played," Jafiq says. "Overall, they talked quite a bit about their careers and what happens in their typical workday." A 15-year-old resident of East Orange, New Jersey, Jafiq previously interned at the state attorney general's office and says that she's interested in becoming a prosecutor.

Solar team member Sabrina Collins says that the internship gave her self-confidence. "When I found out I had to debate, I was scared," says Collins, a 15-year-old Newark resident. "My teammates and my coaches helped me realize that I am a confident person when I speak. A lot of people told me I should be a lawyer. Here at PSEG and NJLEEP, it made me see I would make a good lawyer."

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