By Stephen Anderson
Editor

Mrs. O'Connor's cowbell

It's been a year since Georgetown University announced the establishment of the Sandra Day O'Connor Project on the State of the Judiciary – a fortuitous partnership with the retired justice's passion for educating the public about the importance of judicial independence.

ISBA President Irene Bahr, last year, adroitly retained O'Connor as keynote speaker for a Conference on Judicial Independence and the Illinois Court System held at Loyola University and supported by the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform.

Calling herself "just an unemployed cowgirl" who was trying "to push stubborn old cows in the right direction," O'Connor viewed herself, in retirement, as "free to get citizens involved in the need for judicial independence."

In her remarks, she gave "you folks in Illinois" the back of her hand for electing judges, which she noted is at the root of attacks on the judiciary. But she acknowledged that public criticism "is a sign that our democracy is working as it should."

Getting to the point, O'Connor identified "the hearts and minds of people" as the ultimate authority to protect judicial independence. "That's where you come in," she chided the mixed audience of bench, bar, academia and concerned adjuncts to legal edification.

The unintended consequence of the No Child Left Behind Act took its lumps from O'Connor: Test results in math and science are emphasized, at the expense of teaching young people about civics essentials of the three branches of government (more kids can name the Three Stooges, etc.)

"You in Illinois have to care about these things," she said, asking for help in figuring out how to educate the public, particularly the student body of future leaders – or at least informed followers.

ISBA President Joseph Bisceglia, who served on Bahr's conference steering committee, hit the bar trail carrying the banner of civic education. It was the number one issue in his inaugural Bar Journal President's Page, and has been a frequent lesson from his bully pulpit.

He urged a year-round civic education program that would involve lawyers, judges and law students visiting elementary and high schools on a regular basis to supplement what is (or isn't) included in curriculums.

Bisceglia perceives a couple of corollary benefits here. Seeing legal professionals as part of the educational process could have "a significant positive impact on their view of our profession" and "generate a passion in minority students" that might inspire them to pursue legal careers.

The coming in May of Law Week, of course, is a single opportunity for lawyers and bar associations to show their wares and why-fors in community forums, but civic education has to be of equal importance during the other 51 weeks of every year.

The ISBA Committee on Law Related Education for the Public has called attention to ways that the bench and bar can get involved in support of Bisceglia's focus on building respect for legal institutions through civic projects.

For example, see "Attorneys get involved in public education" on page 3 of the December Bar News, or the article on this page by Pablo Eves about how effective, and individually fulfilling, People's Law Schools can be.

In his February President's Page, Bisceglia notes that this committee has developed a substantial list of volunteer opportunities for lawyers and is working on a Web-based resource list for teachers.

"I urge each of you to consider giving your time to further the diversity and civic education by volunteering to visit a classroom," he implores. Enough said. Do it.

Found: A public education template

While browsing the Sandra Day O'Connor Project Web site, http://www.ourcourts.org, one finds a cheery tableau of diverse youngsters in front of the U.S. Supreme Court edifice.

A click on Educational Resources summons a map of the states. Click on Illinois, and you'll find just ONE citation, but it's a superb outline for the bench and bar of every Illinois county to emulate.

Created by the 19th Judicial Circuit, this exemplary "Teachers' Resource Guide for Law & Justice" has been around since it was energized by Chief Judge Jane D. Waller a half-dozen years ago.

Included in the manual are enlightening historical and practical vignettes, and classroom activities – games, mock trials, etc. – that can help kids learn precepts and concepts of justice.

It comes as close as anything we have seen to the Ignacio Estrada quotation used by the O'Connor Project: "If a child can't learn the way we teach, maybe we should teach the way they learn."

Please find, and utilize, the Teachers' Guide at http://www.19thcircuitcourt.state.il.us/bkshelf/resource/toc.htm.