Attorneys get involved in public education

Although there are typically many opportunities for attorneys to get involved in public education programs and projects in metropolitan areas, it may more be difficult for attorneys in rural areas of Illinois to find established programs in which to volunteer their services.

Even when attorneys have difficulty finding structured public education programs in their areas, however, they can still become involved in the Illinois State Bar Association goal of educating the people about legal issues by reaching out to local community groups.

Specifically, attorneys can volunteer to give presentations on legal topics of interest to the members of various community groups, even when the community groups do not have a specific speaking opportunity already in place.  

Two ISBA members, Sarah J. Taylor and Carey C. Gill, associates in Barrett, Twomey, Broom, Hughes & Hoke in Carbondale, had just such an opportunity to educate a specific group.

On Sept. 15, they were invited to give a presentation on health-related legal topics to participants during the Southern Illinois Women’s Health Conference at John A. Logan Community College in Carterville.

In their 50-minute presentation, Taylor and Gill presented information and answered questions about health-care advanced directives, the Illinois Surrogate Healthcare Act and guardianships.

As part of the presentation, they provided participants with pertinent ISBA education pamphlets and the ISBA Legal Health Check-up 2007 publication. 

This is just one example of a way in which attorneys can share legal knowledge with participants in established programs with areas of interest that are broader than legal education.

Other Southern Illinois attorneys participate in public education by giving estate planning presentations to State of Illinois retirement programs, participating in public education programs given by local police departments, giving lunchtime presentations to senior groups, and in other ways.   

Attorneys can find or create opportunities to speak to people in their own communities by contacting law enforcement agencies, libraries, churches, schools and community colleges, civic and fraternal organizations, retirement groups, health-care organizations, and many other kinds of groups. 

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Sarah Taylor, a member of the ISBA Committee on Law Related Education for the Public, prepared this article to help articulate President Joseph G. Bisceglia’s focus on building respect for legal institutions through civic education projects.