Jennifer Stoltz, Hemby Bridge Elementary
Indian Trail, North Carolina

Jennifer Stoltz, a fifth-grade teacher at Hemby Bridge Elementary School, Indian Trail, North Carolina, has received the American Lawyers Auxiliary 2006 Elementary Teacher of the Year Award. The stated purpose of the award, to honor teachers who have made significant contributions in the area of law related education, appropriately recognizes Ms. Stoltz's development and use of "Our Classroom Government" project. Her government system manages classroom disputes and behavioral issues. The students in the classroom hold specific jobs, are elected as classroom officials, hold Court every Friday with the Chief Justice in charge, as well as participate in other real world experiences. We look forward to meeting Ms. Stoltz at the ALA Spring Meeting in Charleston, SC, on April 21, 2007, to learn first-hand of her innovative classroom system.

Marie H. Rowe, Brentwood Middle School
Pensacola, FL

Marie H. Rowe of Pensacola, FL has received the 2006 Middle School Teacher of the Year Award from the American Lawyers Auxiliary. She teaches "Law in the Courtroom" at the PATS Center at Brentwood Middle School and strives to provide unique opportunities for her students to learn about U.S. history and our legal system. Mrs. Rowe continually searches for creative strategies for teaching about the Constitution, civic duty and our rights and responsibilities as Americans. Her students participate in a variety of in-class and off-campus activities that are related to citizenship and the law. We look forward to meeting Mrs. Rowe at the Mid Year Meeting on February 10, 2007, in Miami, FL.

Byron Lee, Homestead High School
Cupertino, California

After intense competition among high school teachers throughout the nation, Byron Lee, Business Department Chair of Homestead High School in Cupertino, California won the coveted American Lawyers Auxiliary Teacher of the Year award. ALA, an affiliate of the American Bar Association, a national non-profit organization whose mission is to promote understanding and appreciation of the law and the American legal system, selected Mr. Lee based upon his innovative law-related projects at Homestead High. Mr. Lee, who teaches 164 students in five classes, developed mock trials for his three law classes, oversees students develop and submit new state laws, holds Socratic seminars and debates concerning legal and social topics such as tort reform, and as mentor for Homestead's Future Business Leaders of America, he led his school to seven straight California state championships.

Mr. Lee, who holds a Masters Degree in business administration from San Jose State University, wrote that, "I teach students that law affects their everyday lives and that a legal career is noble, challenging and exciting." ALA believes Byron Lee has the creativity and inspiration to carry out his mission.