U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy had a mission when he spoke to bar leaders at the joint luncheon of the National Conference of Bar Presidents, the National Association of Bar Executives, and the National Conference of Bar Foundations at the ABA’s Midyear Meeting in Philadelphia in January. He wanted to involve us in a program he has been thinking about since the September 11 attacks that threatened our national security and the principles upon which our country was founded.
That program, “Dialogue on Freedom,” is designed to provide lawyers and judges with discussion starters, resources, and tips to engage high school students in a conversation about American civic values and traditions. In cooperation with Justice Kennedy, the American Bar Association has created a Web site, www.dialogueonfreedom.org, from which anyone can access materials for setting up and leading a dialogue, along with sample hypotheticals to use in the classroom.
Instructions for leading a dialogue, adapted in part from “A Handbook of Tips: A National Conversation on American Pluralism and Identity,” describe the role of the discussion leader, tips on presenting to a high school class, and sample questions to keep the discussion moving and on target. There are also several classroom strategies to focus and sustain the dialogue.
There are additional links on the Web site to resources you can use to research and enhance your efforts in your community’s schools, as well as a link to presidential speeches. This link provides the text of several famous addresses, as well as links to key documents, suggested readings, and online resources, including the Bill of Rights, the Federalist Papers, and the Emancipation Proclamation.
As part of the dialogue, students are asked to identify three books and three movies that best capture what America means to them. Another exercise is to create a timeline called “Great Events in Freedom” by determining the time frame and events that should be included.
In the initial visit that Justice Kennedy conducted at a high school in Washington, D.C., in January, First Lady Laura Bush and ABA President Robert Hirshon also participated. At the point in the discussion at which Justice Kennedy asked the students to share their book selections, Mrs. Bush volunteered that her choices were not just books, but also included the Sunday edition of any metropolitan city newspaper, a college course catalog, and a book of American presidential speeches, which would reflect the breadth and depth of American culture and values. What a thought provoking and valuable exercise!
This program is ideal for bar associations and a way to enhance our law-related education efforts. It can also boost the number of volunteers from your associations and your communities who want to get involved in this type of activity, but are reluctant to “go it alone.” The bar association provides a structure and mechanism for bringing people together to do what they do best—to explore ideas, to engage in discussion, to examine all sides of an issue, and to challenge others to do the same.
Law Day is a great day on which to do a Dialogue on Freedom. Even if your bar association already has a program for that day, Dialogue on Freedom is a great addition. While a dialogue can be conducted at any time, the vision for this program is to have thousands of lawyers and judges in classrooms conducting dialogues during the week surrounding May 1.
Visit the Web site, www.dialogueonfreedom.org, or, better yet, post a link on your own Web site so your members can easily access it and get involved.
BL
