Chair’s column
The Standing Committee on Law-Related Education for the Public (LRE) had another exceptional year, due to the efforts of an abundance of volunteers. The LRE is comprised of only 16 appointed members but the impact of our Committee is supplemented by associate members and auxiliary volunteers. We accomplished most of the goals and objectives that were contained in a detailed and ambitious, eight-page, strategic plan and far surpassed our expectations for the year! Woot, woot! This article will provide an overview of the LRE’s proudest accomplishments in 2015-16.
The LRE serves several constituencies (e.g., the public, lawyers, and judges) and does so through the combined activities of six standing committees. These highlights will be outlined by summarizing the successes of the LRE and its standing committees.
ILCIVICS.ORG
Some projects require the intervention of the entire LRE and the leadership of our Bar Association. In our endeavors to make civics and law-related education more accessible to the public, the ISBA has acquired an additional domain on the World Wide Web. The rationale is that it will be easier for John Q. Public to find ILCIVICS.ORG, than it would be to locate the Illinois State Bar Association’s (i.e., isba.org) public education resources page(s). The domain name links to the ISBA’s “For the Public” Page, which identifies civics resources for everyone, especially teachers. So from this time forward, you will see ILCIVICS.ORG and “Civics Education Resources” on all of our publications.
Mock Trials
The Mock Trial Invitational gives high school students an opportunity to experience our legal system from a unique perspective - the inside. The ISBA promotes knowledge of the judicial branch of government in Illinois through this high-level state-wide competition. Thank you to all of the teams, guests and volunteers who made the 34th Annual 2016 ISBA High School Mock Trial Invitational a smashing success this year! Umberto Davi, the ISBA President, addressed over 700 attendees. Of course, none of this would have been possible without the extraordinary work of Katy Karayannis (the Mock Trial Coordinator), the Illinois Trial Team (a U of I Student Organization), the U of I College of Law & its staff or Sarah Taylor (the Chair of the Mock Trial Committee). This year’s event was held on April 2nd and 3rd at the University of Illinois College of Law in Champaign-Urbana. The case involved a dispute between two hockey players during a semi-pro game that spiraled out of control. The Mock Trial Resources page contains a wealth of information about the competition, including a plethora of pictures and identification of the: 38 high school teams; top 3 teams; teams that competed in the final round; achievement award winners for outstanding witnesses and attorneys; winner of the Schechter Law Test award and attorney, judge and student volunteers. Please visit http://www.isba.org/teachers/mocktrial for more information. Timothy Christian High School won the Invitational and represented Illinois at the National High School Mock Trial Championship on May 12-14, 2016, in Boise Idaho.
Civics Education
Volunteer lawyers and judges donate their time and expertise to the public and students of all ages through the LRE’s civics education programs, and will continue to do so in 2016-17. . Lawyers in Classrooms (http://www.isba.org/lawyersinclassrooms) remains available for grade school and high school students and encompasses a wide variety of law-related subjects. The LRE also partnered with other civic-minded organizations to offer interesting programs. For example, Courtroom to the Classroom continues to be an interactive Power Point presentation brought to high school students through a joint effort of the ISBA and the Illinois Judges Association (IJA). Additionally, the Adult Education component is almost complete and is expected to be rolled out later this year. This civics education program will be available to community groups and local associations. Judge Chmiel was successful in spearheading an ISBA Speaker’s Bureau and is working diligently to make a continuing legal education program on the Electoral College available this fall -- before the Presidential Elections. On March 4, the LRE attended the 2016 DuPage County Social Studies Conference at Wheaton-Warrenville High School in Wheaton, which included more than 500 social studies teachers from DuPage County and the surrounding areas. On March 11, LRE representatives attended the Spring Conference of the Illinois Council of Social Studies Teachers at Milliken University in Decatur. During that same time, the LRE had a presence during a meeting of the 42 Democracy Schools, which is an initiative of the Illinois Civics Mission Coalition and the McCormick Foundation.
Communications
This Committee managed the LRE’s publications and administered the LRE webpage so that it contained easy access to current and relevant data for our various constituencies. This included publishing the newsletter, developing a plan for reorganizing the website, and identifying the pamphlets and lessons plans that needed revisions.
Membership
For the very first time, the LRE contacted Regional Superintendents of Education to advise them of the free educational and civics resources that are available through the ISBA. The LRE officially welcomed new strategic partners into the fold, through representatives from the ABA and the McCormick Foundation and the Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education (IICLE). Several social gatherings were hosted throughout the year for members, prospective members and volunteers. The LRE is committed to making participation a fun and pleasant experience. The LRE had display tables in the vendor exhibition area during the Mid-Year and Annual ISBA Meetings to promote the services and volunteer opportunities that are available through our Standing Committee.
Strategic Planning
Benjamin Franklin is noted for saying “those who fail to plan, plan to fail.” That is not true of the LRE. Throughout the year, the Planning Committee reviews the existing strategic plan, suggests revisions and sets goals and priorities for the coming year.
Readers can learn more information through our website pages (http://www.isba.org/teachers for non-ISBA members and http://www.isba.org/committees/lawrelatededucation for ISBA members). As always, we welcome suggestions and feedback. Please contact Kim Furr, our stellar ISBA staff liaison, via email at kfurr@isba.org or by calling 1-800-252-8908, so that we may continue improving our services to you.
It has been an honor and a very rewarding experience to serve as Chair of the LRE during 2015-16. It is with great pleasure that I pass the gavel onto Marylou Kent. The LRE will be in good hands under her capable leadership. I am wishing the best of luck to the LRE, Marylou and all of the terrific volunteers in 2016-17.
The importance of law-related education has been touted by our country’s leaders for ages. In 1837, Abraham Lincoln addressed the youth of Springfield, Illinois, proclaiming, “Let reverence for the laws be breathed by every American mother to the lisping babe that prattles on her lap; let it be taught in schools, in seminaries, and in colleges; let it be written in primers, spelling-books, and in almanacs; let it be preached from the pulpit, proclaimed in legislative halls, and enforced in courts of justice.”
However, law-related education did not become a more formalized movement until recent times. Prior to the 1960s, the phrase “law-related education” was met with opposition; people felt isolated from the world of law. In the 1950s and 1960s, significant social and political events resulted in an atmosphere of distrust and fear throughout the country. For many, this caused a desire to strengthen democratic attitudes among the citizenry. This desire was reinforced by a Purdue University poll that indicated that high school seniors were surprisingly ignorant of the Bill of Rights. This was of major concern to many because, without knowledge of the law, it was believed that younger generations would not be able to function effectively within the confines of democracy.
In 1962, U.S. Supreme Court Justice William J. Brennan addressed the National Council for Social Studies on “Teaching the Bill of Rights.” Speaking on social issues, he stated, “These problems cannot be adequately considered, and surely not solved, without a deep awareness of the interdependence of our legal and educational systems.” Justice Brennan’s endorsement lead to the development of law-related education institutes for teacher education throughout the nation.
While interest in law-related education was high, few programs were actually developed and implemented in the classroom. It is believed that this was due, in part, to a lack of communication between educators, lawyers, law personnel and community members. A critical event in the development of law-related education came in 1971 with the establishment of a Special Committee on Youth Education for Citizenship by the American Bar Association. Its purpose was to promote the development of law-related education programs, help coordinate services and avoid wasteful duplication of efforts. Its goals included assisting schools in implementing law-related education programs in school curricula.
The involvement of the American Bar Association was a signal to other bar associations and boards of education highlighting the importance of law-related education and this helped cement a partnership between the legal and education communities. By 1977, thirty-seven states had implemented more than 500 law-related education programs. Momentum grew. Bar associations and educational agencies became involved in civic education. Attention converged on effective teacher training programs. The American Bar Association emphasized the importance of effective teacher training, stating that “[w]hile lawyers, judges and law enforcement officials can help by making occasional classroom visits, only teachers can be expected to bear the instructional burden and implement the goals of law-related education.”
In 1978, Congress passed an amendment to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act known as the Law-Related Education Act of 1978. The Act reinforced the federal government’s active involvement in law-related education and made the important recommendation that law-related education be included in our schools. It also defined law-related education as “an education to equip non-lawyers with knowledge and skills pertaining to the law, the legal process and the legal system, and the fundamental principles and values on which these are based.”
The regulations issued by the United States Department of Education in support of the Act provided that law-related education helps students “respond effectively to the law and legal issues in our complex and changing society.” According to the American Bar Association:
Law-related education embraces a rich and varied array of programs for all grade levels. These programs share a common goal of fostering the knowledge, skills and values students need to function effectively in a society defined by its democratic institutions, pluralism and the...rule of the law. Law-related education strives to develop the active citizens a democratic society requires: those who can understand, live in, and contribute positively to the civic communities to which they belong.
The involvement of bar associations in law-related education across the country in the wake of the enactment of the Law-Related Education Act has been tremendous. The Illinois State Bar Association Standing Committee on Law-Related Education for the Public (“LRE”) is but one example of many. In furtherance of its purpose “to equip non-lawyers with knowledge and skills pertaining to the law, the legal process and the legal system”, the LRE hosts the annual Illinois High School Mock Trial Invitational; provides a database of lawyers who are available to speak in classrooms; publishes informational materials for the public on a variety of civil and legal issues primarily affecting children and parents; and publishes a quarterly newsletter with additional information and resources for teachers.
Law-related education continues to evolve. Illinois now requires one full semester of civics for all students enrolling in high school on or after July 1, 2016. This new requirement is intended to help young people acquire and learn to use the skills, knowledge and attitudes that will best prepare them to be competent and reasonable citizens throughout their lives. According to the new law, the content of the civic course must focus on government institutions, the discussion of current and controversial issues, service learning, and simulations of the democratic process. Certainly, as described by the U.S. Department of Education, helping students “respond effectively to the law and legal issues in our complex and changing society,” is a very lofty goal, indeed.
The Illinois State Bar Association’s Law-Related Education Newsletter is provided free of charge on a quarterly basis during the school year. We are dedicated to promoting law-related education resources and discussion topics appropriate for use in classroom or community settings. If you do NOT wish to receive this complimentary newsletter, please reply and indicate in the message line that you wish to be removed from our mailing list. Statements, expressions of opinion or comments appearing herein are those of the editors or contributors, and not necessarily those of the Association or the Committee.