I am very grateful to announce that I have stepped into the role of Chair for the ISBA Standing Committee on Law Related Education for the Public for 2017-2018. Since I joined this Committee five years ago, it has worked tirelessly to grow its mission, coordinate civics education programs, and expanded its goals and objectives. I am confident this will be another successful year with the continued efforts of this year’s Committee members and associate members.

I would like to thank those members who have stepped up to chair the various subcommittees of the Committee: Judge Michael Chmiel as Civics Education Chair, Lauren DeJong and Ed Schoenbaum as Communications Co-Chairs and Sarah Taylor as Mock Trials Chair. The important work of the Committee could not be accomplished without their time and commitment.

Last year the Civics Education subcommittee successfully rolled out our Lawyers in the Classroom and Speakers Bureau programs. Lawyers in the Classroom is a program that enables teachers to find lawyers in their area who are willing to speak to students on legal topics or legal careers. A list of volunteer lawyers, arranged by County, is available on the ISBA website. The Speakers Bureau is designed to connect community based organizations with lawyers in their community who are willing to speak about various legal topics that are of interest to their organization. Organizations can request a speaker through the ISBA Web site.

In addition to civics education, the other major focus of our Committee is our involvement with the High School Mock Trial Invitational. This program provides high school students the opportunity to experience how our system of justice works through preparation and presentation of a trial in a statewide competition with the winner advancing to the national competition. This year’s Invitational will be based on a civil lawsuit and is sure to be another success thanks to the students, professionals, attorneys and judges who volunteer some of their weekend hours to judge and evaluate the teams, as well as the students, teachers and coaches who put in countless hours of preparation for the competition.

Anyone who is interested in learning more about or volunteering with Lawyers in the Classroom, the Speakers Bureau, or the High School Mock Trial Invitational should contact our outstanding staff assistant, Kim Furr, at ISBA Headquarters for further information. I am looking forward to another great year! 