Lawyers e-Journal
Thursday, May. 24, 2012
Top: Southbridge High School students get Law Day lessons from Michael Sams of Kenney & Sams PC in Southborough (left) and Dudley District Court Associate Justice Margaret Guzman (right). Photos by James H. Finnegan.
Bottom: Chelsea High School students hear about “No Courts, No Justice, No Freedom” from Robert Ronquillo, first justice of the East Boston Division of Boston Municipal Court (left) and Marc Laredo of Laredo & Smith LLP in Boston (right). Photos by Jeff Thiebauth.
Judges and lawyers bring MBA’s Law Day initiative, “No Courts, No Justice, No Freedom,” to Massachusetts high schools in May
Students at high schools in Chelsea, Fall River, Southbridge,
Springfield and Worcester are participating in the Massachusetts
Bar Association's Law Day Initiative during the month of May
focused on the topic: "No Courts, No Justice, No Freedom."
"This unique program is critical because it provides young people
with an understanding of the role of law and courts in our
society," MBA President Richard P. Campbell said. "This knowledge
is necessary to fully understand the importance of a functioning
court system, which is currently in jeopardy without proper funding
from the state."
Volunteer attorney/judge teams from the MBA are visiting classes
at each school and presenting a lesson involving a fictional case,
which challenges a state's guidelines for providing free attorneys
to criminal defendants. The program teaches students how the
adversarial court system works, how the courts review the
constitutionality of legislation and about the Sixth and 14th
amendments.
The following is a list of participating schools:
- South High School, Worcester
- High School of Commerce, Springfield
- Renaissance School, Springfield
- Diman Regional Vocational Tech High School, Fall River
- Southbridge High School, Southbridge
- Springfield Central High School, Springfield
- Claremont Academy, Worcester
- Chelsea High School, Chelsea
- The SABIS International Charter School, Springfield
- Cathedral High School, Wilbraham
- Worcester Technical High School, Worcester
- North High School, Worcester
The MBA is appreciative of the Massachusetts Judges
Conference for its assistance in recruiting volunteer judges for
this endeavor.