ANNIVERSARY OF BROWN V. BOARD OF EDUCATION OF TOPEKA CELEBRATED

The American Bar Association has announced the 2004 Law Day Theme: Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court landmark decision. The American Bar Association's Law Day/Brown link is http://www.abanet.org/brown/home.html

There is a tremendous amount of information on Brown available on the Internet:

There's the Brown v. Board of Education national historic site in Kansas: http://www.nps.gov/brvb/

As well as:

http://brownvboard.org/brwnqurt/brwnqurt.htm

http://www.oc.uiuc.edu/Brown/links.html

http://www.classbrain.com/artteenst/publish/article_116.shtml

And many more! Have fun searching.

LESSON PLANS IN LAW-RELATED EDUCATION

CRADLE Lesson Plan No. 41552A

You Can't Go to School Here: Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka

Created By Diane M. Reinke, Vermillion Middle School, Vermillion, South Dakota

ABSTRACT: In this lesson students will study the Supreme Court case of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka. Students should be familiar with the case, by reading any book on Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka. A lawyer guest speaker could also be asked to present information to the class about the case and related issues. After reading the Case Study and/or book, students will cooperatively create and write a play about the case of Brown v. The Board of Education of Topeka. The play will portray information about the case of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, and include legal vocabulary in the script. The play will be a dramatic interpretation of the facts and feelings the students have read about in the Case Study and/or the book. Students will then choose to become actors, actresses, directors, or stage technicians as they perform the play.

OBJECTIVES - As a result of the lesson, students will:

Become familiar with facts and information about the case of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka and also the people involved in the case. Cooperatively write a play that effectively

portrays the facts and feelings involved in the case. Become an actor, actress, director, or stage technician in the production of the play. Discuss the legal and moral issues of segregation in

our society.

SUBJECT/GRADE LEVEL/AUDIENCE - The lesson is designed to be taught with Middle Level sixth, seventh, or eight graders in the Language Arts areas of Reading and English, and Social Studies areas of History, Civics, and Government.

TIME REQUIRED - Approximately three 40 minute class periods to read, research, discuss and record data. Approximately three 40 minute class periods to write the script for the play. Approximately three 40 minute class periods to perform the play. Approximately one 40 minute class period to discuss and evaluate the play.

MATERIALS

1. Case Study Information Sheet

2. The book Thurgood Marshall Equal Justice Under Law by Lisa Aldred

ISBN 0-7910-0245-4

3. Any information available in the school library on the case Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka; Thurgood Marshall, or Plessy v. Ferguson

4. Data to be in the Play Activity Sheet

5. Guidelines to follow while writing the Play

6. Evaluation Form

PROCEDURE - Motivate and create interest in the property by asking the following question. Why couldn't a fourth grade girl in Topeka, Kansas attend school in a very well equipped school only four blocks from her home instead of riding five miles to her poorly maintained school?

This will provide information on student prior knowledge of civil rights in the United States.

Explain to the students that the answer to the question can be found by reading the Case Study. Further, explain the project to the students. They will read and research information on civil rights in the 1950's and more specifically the case Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka. The book Thurgood Marshall Equal Justice Under Law by Lisa Aldred would provide further information if available to students. The students will then work in groups to write a script for a play portraying facts and events surrounding the case of Brown v. Broad of Education of Topeka and perform their play to the class or other audience. Ask students to read the Case Study Information Sheet. They could also read additional materials provided by the teacher. The time required to complete the reading and research will depend upon how much background information the teacher feels the class needs. The students should read and research individually or in partners and complete the Data to be in the Play Activity Sheet. The following vocabulary is necessary to better understand the project and will help when writing the play. Definitions are provided at the end of the Case Study. However, the teacher may wish to have students create their own definitions using the dictionary and other research materials. Students may wish to add other legal words to their vocabulary lists.

Vocabulary

Precedent

Rebuttal

Thurgood Marshall

John W. Davis

Plessy v. Ferguson

Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka

Fourteenth Amendment

Ruling

Opinion

Suit

The following discussion questions can be used after reading the Case Study and research time to facilitate understanding and provide background information for the plays.

Explain the function of the Supreme Court?

Describe the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka case.

Why was it important to get rid of the "separate but equal" belief?

Describe the Plessy v. Ferguson case. Why did it take so many years for someone to challenge the Plessy v. Ferguson case?

List the arguments against segregated schools.

List the arguments for segregated schools.

Explain the effects of the Supreme Court decision on our society.

The students will work in cooperative groups of approximately 4-6 students to write a script about the case Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka. Divide the class into groups that you feel will be beneficial (including a range of writing abilities, creative and dramatic skills.) Ask students to choose a leader (keeps group on task), recorder (writes ideas, etc.), encourager (keeps people thinking positive), others as you desire. Have students read and write down ideas as they work through the Guidelines to Follow While Writing the Play Activity Sheet. The activity sheet will guide the students to brainstorm possible plots, discuss and list possible characters, focus their plot on one or two main characters, consider their time limitations, be realistic about costumes and props, and set construction. They should represent events historically accurate, and include the

facts of the story. Students will want to use the information gathered while reading the Case Study Information Sheet and the Data to be in the Play Activity Sheet. Ask students to write the play in script format. This may be difficult for all eight students to do as one group. Perhaps two or three students would volunteer to write the first draft for the group. The script should be written to be performed in 15 or 20 minutes. A principle to remember is Keep it Simple! The script doesn't have

to include every detail or every event. The students should be encouraged to be creative in their approach.

Optional

Students may want to include appropriate costumes, music make-up, and props. The students will perform their play for the groups in the class (This would be about 3 plays per class). The

teacher may wish to use a stage if available, but this is not necessary to the lesson. The classroom can be arranged to form a performance area. The audience will be asked to evaluate the play by completing the Evaluation Form.

Optional

The plays could be performed for other classes or grade levels as well as parents and family members or students could take their play on the road and travel to other classes and perform.

EVALUATION - The teacher will base achievement on:

Observation of groups working cooperatively.

The completion of the activity sheet, Data to be in the Play.

The completion of the activity sheet, Guidelines to Follow While Writing the Play.

Evaluation Form, completed while watching the plays.

DEBRIEFING/SUMMARIZATION/CLOSURE - It is hoped that the plays created by the students will reflect the events and facts about Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka accurately. Also, it is expected, based on the guidelines, that students included information about Plessy v. Ferguson, Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, legal vocabulary, and the arguments of John Davis and Thurgood Marshall fairly. The following discussion should guide students to relate the above information to their own lives and to the present day.

Can you think of an example today in which people are segregated?

Are minority groups treated fairly in society today?

Are there leaders today that would agree with either Marshall or Davis?

Are there examples in our school where a rule is not fair for all? If you answered yes to the previous question is there something you can do about it?

Do you think people are prejudice? Give some examples.

Even after the Supreme Court ruled against segregation in America's schools, it took some time before school districts enforced the ruling. Explain why this occurred.

TIPS FOR THE TEACHER - The teacher should be sure that students follow the activity sheets carefully. The suggestions and questions asked assure greater success in the plays. Be sure to follow the Keep It Simple Principle when planning the plays. Many students at the Middle School level enjoy performing, while others prefer to be behind the scenes. A play includes parts for everyone to be successful. It also encourages students to work together cooperatively.

Enrichment

A group may wish to apply the information from the story to modern day and create a play based in a current segregation issue.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Aldred, Lisa, Thurgood Marshall Equal Justice Under Law, Chelsea House Publications: New York, 1990

Center for Civic Education, We The People, CA: Center for Civic Education: 1990.

Garrison, Melvin and Smith, James R., Discovering Our Fundamental Freedoms: The Bill of Rights in the Early and Middle Grades, Teacher Resource Guide, The Philadelphia Partnership for

Education. PBS Video, Simple Justice, Alexandria, Virginia, AMEX508.

* * * * *

Distributed by the Center for Research and Development in Law-Related Education, Wake Forest University School of Law, 2714 Henning DR, Winston-Salem NC 27106; 1-800-437-1054.

DATA TO BE IN THE PLAY

THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION SHOULD BE RECORDED BELOW AND INCORPORATED IN THE SCRIPT OF YOUR PLAY EXPLAIN PLESSY V.

FERGUSON EXPLAIN BROWN V. BOARD OF EDUCATION OF TOPEKA

EXPLAIN THE FOURTEENTH AMENDMENT

SUMMARIZE THE CLOSING SPEECH OF THURGOOD MARSHALL

SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING LEGAL VOCABULARY

PRECEDENT

REBUTTAL

SEGREGATION

SUPREME COURT

RULING OPINION

GUIDELINES TO FOLLOW WHILE WRITING THE PLAY

PLEASE FOLLOW THE GUIDELINES BELOW AS YOU WRITE THE SCRIPT FOR

YOUR PLAY. BRAINSTORM POSSIBLE PLOTS (consider the problem faced by the characters in the play, conflicts, and solutions) CHOOSE ONE MAIN CHARACTER AND SUPPORTING CHARACTERS CONSIDER LENGTH OF TIME TO PRESENT THE PLAY

BE REALISTIC AND SIMPLE WHEN DECIDING SET CONSTRUCTION

BE REALISTIC AND SIMPLE WHEN CHOOSING COSTUMES

INCLUDE INFORMATION AND FACTS FROM THE BOOK

(Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Fourteenth Amendment, quotes from speeches of John Davis and Thurgood Marshall, legal vocabulary, Plessy v. Ferguson)

WRITE THE SCRIPT IN PLAY FORMAT (Character's name, colon, parentheses indicating directions, expressions, etc.)

EVALUATION FORM

PLEASE EVALUATE THE PLAY FOLLOWING THE CRITERIA BELOW.

1 would be poor and 4 would be excellent

ACTORS AND ACTRESSES COULD BE UNDERSTOOD 1 2 3 4

COSTUMES (Simple, but effective) 1 2 3 4

SET CONSTRUCTION (Simple, yet added meaning to the plot) 1 2 3 4

STORY PLOT (made sense, easy to follow) 1 2 3 4

PROPS (simple, added to the meaning of the play) 1 2 3 4

ORIGINALITY 1 2 3 4

FACTS INCLUDED FROM THE BOOK 1 2 3 4

OVER-ALL IMPRESSION 1 2 3 4

TOTAL POINTS_________/32

INFORMATIONAL BACKGROUND

fkLinda Brown was a fourth grader in 1951. She lived in Topeka, Kansas. She wanted to attend a school only four blocks from her home, but instead had toe ride a bus five miles to her school. She wondered why. Linda Brown was black. In 1951, black people were not allowed to attend school with white people. The schools were segregated. Also, the schools for the blacks were often One room shacks, had few supplies, and few teachers. Why were black and white children separated?

To understand this question, you need to look back to 1896. In 1896, a black man named Holmer Adolph Plessy refused to ride in a segregated train (blacks in one section and whites in another). Plessy was convicted by a Louisiana judge whose name last name was Ferguson Pleases lawyer argued that separation of the races violated the Fourteenth Amendment, which guarantees all citizens "the Equal protection of the laws." Plessy sued Ferguson and the case became known as Plessy v Ferguson. The case went before the Supreme Court. They ruled that "separate but equal" was fair and satisfied the Fourteenth Amendment's equal protection guarantee. This ruling kept Linda Brown from attending schools with white children. The ruling also dictated that everything from water fountains, prisons, street cars, restaurants, and restrooms, be segregated or be for whites only.

Linda Brown's father, the Reverend Oliver Brown, sued the Topeka School District. So did blacks in similar situations from South Carolina, Virginia, Delaware, and the District of Columbia. All five cases became known as Brown because it came first in the alphabet. Their lawyer was Thurgood Marshall who led the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People). He believed that separate but equal educational facilities were unfair and unconstitutional. The lawyer opposing Marshall was John W. Davis. He represented those who wanted segregation to continue as it had in the past. He believed separate facilities in education was equal. The case went before the Supreme Court on December 7, 1953. On December 8, the lawyers presented their closing statements. Before they began, the marshal of the court declared the ancient, ritual words: "The honorable the Chief Justice, the Associate Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States. Oyez, oyez, Oyez! All persons having business before the honorable the Supreme Court of the United States are advised to draw near and give their attention, for the Court is now sitting, and God save the United Sates and this honorable Court." The Chief Justice was Earl Warren and there were 8 other Justices.

They heard the arguments of both Thurgood Marshall and John W. Davis. Mr. Davis argued for the separate - but equal doctrine as a basic principle of American life. A time comes, he said, when such a principle "has been so often announced, so confidently relied upon, so long continued, that is passes the limits of judicial discretion and disturbance." Marshall believed that school segregation laws were deliberately designed to oppress black people. The only way the Supreme Court could uphold them, he stated would be "to find that for some reason Negroes are interior to all other human beings." "The only thing segregation can be is an inherent determination that people who were formerly in slavery, regardless of anything else, shall be kept as near that stage as is possible. And now is the time, we submit, that this Court should make it clear that that is not what our Constitution stands for." People waited for the ruling. Finally on May 17, 1954, Earl Warren read the decision of the Justices. Warren believed we could no longer tolerate separating any race as inferior. He convinced the eight other Justices to agree with him. When Chief Justice Earl Warren read the unanimous opinion on May 17, 1954, he said "that in the field of public education, the doctrine of separate but equal has no place. Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal. The decision was unanimous, 9-0. Plessy had finally been over-turned. Segregation was unconstitutional.

DEFINITIONS

FOURTEENTH AMENDMENT

This was a 1868 Civil War Amendment designed to eliminate slavery. Congress passed this amendment to assure that "all persons" are citizens and entitled to the "equal protection of the law." Amendment XIV. Section 1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside. No state shall make or enforce any law, which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the law.

PLESSY V FERGUSON-May 18, 1896

A state statute requiring railway companies to provide separate accommodations for white and colored persons, and making a passenger insisting on occupying a coach or compartment other than the one set apart for his race liable to fine or imprisonment, does not violate constitutional Amendment 14, by abridging the privileges or immunities of United States citizens, or depriving persons of liberty or property without due process of law, or by denying them the equal protection of the laws.

BROWN V BOARD OF EDUCATION

A Supreme Court case which ruled 9-0 in favor of desegregation It states, "It is at the elementary or primary education level that children, along with their acquisition of facts and figures, integrate and formulate basic ideas and attitudes are born and fashioned within a segregated educational framework, students of both the majority and minority groups are not only limited in a full and complete interchange of ideas and responses, but are confronted and influenced by value judgments, sanctioned by their society which established qualitative distinctions on the basis or race. Education cannot be separated from the social environment in which the child lives. He cannot attend separate schools and learn the meaning of equality."

Thurgood Marshall - a lawyer for the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People). He argued against segregation in the Supreme court case of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka in 1954. He later became the first black Justice on the Supreme Court.

John W. Davis - was a lawyer that argued for segregation in the Supreme Court case of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka in 1954. By 1953, he had argued 140 cases before the Supreme Court. He was 80 years old and was well respected. He was from the South and believed that segregation was not only fair but necessary. He believed in the separate-but-equal principle.

Earl Warren - the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court in 1954 that heard the case of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka. He persuaded the eight justices to agree with him and vote against segregation with a unanimous vote of 9-0.

Justice of the Court - a person who reads the famous, ritual words prior to the Supreme Court beginning. "The honorable the Chief Justice, the Associate Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States. Oyez, oyez, oyez! All persons having business before the honorable the Supreme Court of the United States are advised to draw near and give their attention, for the Court is now sitting, and God save the United States and this Honorable Court."

precedent- a legal ruling that is a pattern for similar future cases

rebuttal- an argument against an opposing view

ruling- an authoritative decision, as of a judge

opinion- a judgment

suit- an act, process, or proceeding in a court of law for the enforcement of a claim or to correct a wrong.

HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION IN K-12 SCHOOLS

Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights has spent the past two years interviewing teachers and students and observing classroom work in order to document how human rights education successfully takes place in K-12 schools. You can read the stories of human rights education at 7 Minnesota metro area schools at: www.mnadvocates.org/rightssites

If you have questions about this project, please feel free to contact:

Megan A. Powers, Human Rights Education Program Director

Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights, 650 Third Avenue South, Suite 550

Minneapolis, MN 55402-1940, mpowers@mnadvocates.org

HON. HARRIS H. AGNEW HONORED

Retired Judge Harris H. Agnew (Rockford) has been selected by the Board of Regents to the 2004 class of Laureates of the Academy of Illinois Lawyers. The Academy of Illinois Lawyers was founded in 1999 to recognize lawyers who have established and maintained the highest principles of the profession as demonstrated by their record of service to the law and the public. The Laureate Award, the supreme honor bestowed by the Academy, is awarded to those deemed to exemplify the highest ideals of the profession.

Many of you may recognize Judge Agnew due to his continued participation as an active member of the ISBA Standing Committee on Law-Related Education, and as a presiding mock trial judge. Congratulations, Judge Agnew!

CRISIS PLANNING FOR SCHOOLS: A NEW GUIDE IS AVAILABLE

Rod Paige, US Secretary of Education, along with Tom Ridge, US Secretary of Homeland Security, have unveiled a new section on the Department of Education's Website that is designed to be a comprehensive resource guide to help school officials plan for any emergency, including natural disasters, violent incidents or terrorist acts. Visit www.ed.gov/emergencyplan

POINTS OF LAW

HOW LONG DO I HAVE TO FILE A LAW SUIT?

Illinois law establishes a statute of limitations, which places a specific time limit within which a lawsuit must be filed. If you fail to file your suit within this time limit, your case will be dismissed and no additional action can be taken on the matter. There is not one fixed statute of limitation; rather, there are many that depend upon the facts and circumstances of the cases in question. A statute of limitations may be as little as six months or it may be several years. To be sure you have a claim that is not nearing a statutory deadline, it is important to seek legal advice from a lawyer.

SLANDER AND LIBEL, WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE

Laws have been on the books in Illinois since the 1870's to protect the public from potential harm from false, malicious statements made by others either through spoken or written words. Slander and Libel, the two words that are used to define these malicious statements, are often confused. Slander is a spoken communication containing false statements that may injure a person's reputation. Libel is the false publication, through writing, print, signs, or pictures that damage a person's reputation. It is not sufficient to find that the statements are untrue; in order to prove slander or libel, it must be found that the statements were made with malicious intent.

OBTAINING AN ORDER OF PROTECTION

Are you or someone you know the victim of physical violence or abuse? If so, you may be eligible to receive an order of protection. An order of protection is a court order that prohibits specific "abusive" behavior. Upon entry of an order of protection by the court and after personal service upon the abuser, the abuser may be arrested and prosecuted for any violations. You may obtain an order of protection by contacting your local State's Attorney's Office in your county. You may also receive an order of protection in a divorce case or independent matter. For more information contact an attorney. If you are in immediate danger, contact the police.

BENEFITS OF ACCURATE TIP REPORTING

Even though there are laws that say you must report your tips, the Internal Revenue Service indicates that less than half of all tip income is actually reported. You may feel that keeping your tips without reporting them is more cash in your pocket. This isn't legal and may hurt you when you want to retire. Because tips, for tax purposes, are considered a form of wages, employers are responsible for reporting these wages to the IRS. Your employer is also responsible for withholding taxes on your behalf. If you don't accurately report your tips, you may not ultimately receive the social security benefits that could be yours, based on your salary and tips combined.

A. LINCOLN

As we approach the annual celebration of Mr. Lincoln's birthday, you might want to visit the Abraham Lincoln Association's website, and more specifically, their bibliography: http://www.alincolnassoc.com/bibliography.htm

The Association also has a section dedicated to lesson plans for teachers:

http://www.alincolnassoc.com/classroom_materials.htm

For updates on the A. Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, visit:

http://www.alincoln-library.com/Apps/default.asp

As 2009 and the 200th birthday of Lincoln's birth approaches, teachers may want to start book marking links and collecting lesson plans and recommended readings to commemorate the event.

If you have a favorite lesson plan relating to Mr. Lincoln, one of his legal cases, or any related event, please feel free to share it by e-mailing the document to dschecht@isba.org. We'll start compiling them on the ISBA Web page for everyone to share. Be sure to provide appropriate information so we can give full credit to you for your original lesson.

UNAUTHORIZED PRACTICE OF LAW ALERT

For many years, the Illinois State Bar Association has been vigilant in guarding against the unauthorized practice of law. The Association continues to take an aggressive stance to protect the public against non-lawyers who attempt to practice law. Here's an update of recent developments:

Reliable Research Company, Inc., has been permanently enjoined from engaging in the business of providing legal services, practicing law, or appearing as an attorney in the State of Illinois. The ISBA and the plaintiff, Ms. Ethel Hudgens, filed suit against Reliable Research after the company prepared legal documents for Ms. Hudgens as part of a real estate closing, and then failed to properly record the transaction. Ms. Hudgens stood to lose tens of thousands of dollars when the buyers of her home filed for bankruptcy, because of the failure of Reliable Research to secure her interest in the property. In Illinois real estate transactions, the law provides that only licensed attorneys may prepare deeds, mortgages, and other legal instruments that become matters of permanent record. Ms. Hudgens reached a financial settlement with Reliable Research several months ago through representation by her ISBA-member attorneys Paul Evans (O'Fallon) and John Pawloski (Belleville).

The Lawyer's Assistant: ISBA also recently settled an action against Betty Lewis, who represented herself as "The Lawyer's Assistant" and, as such, independently assisted individuals in real estate closings. Ms. Lewis was found to have, individually, and as The Lawyer's Assistant, violated the provisions of the Attorney Act, 705 ILCS 205/1 by engaging in the unauthorized practice of law in Illinois by providing legal advice, preparing various legal documents, attending real estate closings while purporting to represent the interests of a buyer and a seller of real property, and being financially compensated for the provision of these legal services. Ms. Lewis was permanently enjoined from engaging in these practices. The agreed order provides that Ms. Lewis must return any and all fees paid to her for the work she illegally performed, and to pay costs for the litigation.

We the People: Combating the unauthorized practice of law is time consuming and expensive, especially when the entity performing the unauthorized practice is a national organization with multiple offices across the country, like We the People. ISBA has been involved in litigation against We The People-Crystal Lake for a number of years. ISBA's position is that We The People-Crystal Lake illegally provided legal services and legal advice to the public. Since the litigation We The People-Crystal Lake has closed its office; however, they still hold a valid business license in this state and We The People has numerous other regional offices still operating in Illinois.

We the People II: After becoming suspicious that a pro se litigant seeking a divorce who spoke little English did not prepare his petition for divorce, Judge Leonard Wojtecki of Kendall County found all legal documents provided and completed by We The People – Berwyn in the matter void ab initio, as being prepared by someone other than the plaintiff who was not an attorney. The litigant obtained legal counsel and returned to court and was granted a divorce.

ISBA, through the Task Force on the Unauthorized Practice of Law, welcomes input from members and from the public who may have been harmed by these practices. Please feel free to contact ISBA General Counsel Mary T. McDermott, at the ISBA Chicago Office, 20 South Clark Street, Suite 900, Chicago, IL 60603, or Melinda J. Bentley, First Assistant Counsel, in the Springfield Office, 424 South Second Street, Springfield, IL 62701.

MOCK TRIAL ACADEMY: STEP INTO THE COURTROOM

By: Alicia M. Hawley, Esq.

The following is an advertisement for an Illinois program, which has

not been officially endorsed by the Illinois State Bar Association

If you know high school students who are looking to improve their trial advocacy and public speaking skills under the instruction of nationally-recognized lawyers and college Mock Trial coaches - Mock Trial Academy is the place for them!

Mock Trial Academy is a trial advocacy conference, endorsed by the American Mock Trial Association (AMTA), where real life trial lawyers and college Mock Trial coaches from around the country instruct high school students in the art of trial advocacy. The conference will be held at North Central College in Naperville, Illinois, one of Chicago's western suburbs, from June 17-27, 2004. The students will stay in North Central's dormitories and learn in its classrooms, giving them a glimpse of the college experience.

At Mock Trial Academy, high school students will get expert instruction from some of the most knowledgeable Mock Trial minds in the country. Students will immediately apply what they learn as they prepare to try People v. Lee Darnell, a fictitious case in which the defendant has been charged with murdering her own son. The conference culminates with the students trying this case, which was previously used in college Mock Trial competition.

Mock Trial Academy students will spend their days learning about various aspects of trial advocacy and implementing these techniques in small group sections as they prepare every aspect of the case for trial. Students will learn the principles and the finer points of each stage of trial, including opening statements, direct examinations, cross examinations, closing arguments, objections, courtroom procedures and trial strategy.

Both students with and without high school Mock Trial experience are encouraged to apply for enrollment, as Mock Trial Academy helps students improve their public speaking skills, think creatively and strategically, and learn to conduct a trial from start to finish.

Students will also participate in numerous field trips and social events, which may include visits to a police crime laboratory, Northwestern University School of Law, a downtown Chicago law firm, a courthouse, and others. Social events may include movie night, a dance, Whirlyball (a Chicago favorite combining basketball, lacrosse, and bumper cars), and more.

Mock Trial Academy's endorser, AMTA, is the governing body of intercollegiate Mock Trial across the country, and administers every college Mock Trial tournament in the United States. For high school students who are looking to get a jump on their college mock trial preparation, there is no better place as all faculty and guest speakers at Mock Trial Academy are affiliated with AMTA.

Students in Grades 9-12 during the 2003-2004 school year are eligible to apply for admission to Mock Trial Academy. For more information, please visit our website at www.mocktrialacademy.com, email information@mocktrialacademy.com, or call 773.244.2934.

The application deadline is March 15, 2004.

_________________________________________

Members of the 2003-2004 ISBA Standing Committee on Law-Related Education for the Public:

Ms. Lynda S Marquardt, Chair

Mary L Milano, Vice-Chair

Mr. Jay D. Reece, Secretary

Ms. Colleen M McLaughlin, Ex-Officio

Harris H Agnew

David L Anders

Kimberly J Anderson

Mr. Rex L Brown

Mr. Thomas J Carlisle

Kelli M. Childress

Hon. John P Coady

Ms. Sheila Fahey-Wallenius

Ms. Camela A Gardner

Mr. Carl W Gilmore

Ms. Heather A Jackson

Mr. John F Kauffman

Mr. Frank J Kopecky (Newsletter Editor)

Ms. Ann M. Pictor

Mr. Steven B Skelton

Ms. Kelli M. Smith (Newsletter Editor)

Ms. Zeophus J Williams

Mr. Mark D. Hassakis, Board Liaison

Melinda Bentley, Staff Liaison

Ms. Donna Schechter, Staff Liaison (dschecht@isba.org)

Disclaimer: This newsletter is for subscribers' personal use but may be forwarded and duplicated for educational use. Copyright Illinois State Bar Association. Statements or expressions of opinion appearing herein are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Association or Editors, and likewise, the publication of any advertisement or Internet link is not to be construed as an endorsement of the product, service or information offered.

To subscribe or change your subscription information, please e-mail dschecht@isba.org. Thank you.