Dallas Bar Association Contact: Christina Hester, Staff Assistant Dallas Bar Association 2101 Ross Ave. Dallas, TX 75201 E-mail: chester@dallas.org Website: www.dallasbar.org Activity Summary: In the schools, the Dallas Bar offers all grade levels the chance to have a lawyers speak to their class or assembly. High school students are given the opportunity to visit the criminal courthouse and participate in a mock voir dire. An essay contest is sponsored for middle school students, and in conjunction with the Dallas Black Women Attorneys a poster contest is offered to selected elementary schools. In the community, members or our Board speak to potential jurors about the rights and responsibilities our legal system. The celebration of Law Week culminates in a luncheon honoring the judiciary. Activity Narrative: Lawyers in the Classroom: DISD teachers had the opportunity to request an attorney visit their classroom. Attorneys and teachers worked out topics relevant to the students' studies interests. This activity left students with a positive, lasting impression regarding our legal system. Over 70 DBA members coordinated with over 80 teachers to speak to over 3,000 students. Mock Voir Dire: Five Criminal Court judges adjusted their dockets to participate in demonstrations of the selection of a jury, one of the most important rights guaranteed by the Constitution. Two hundred and seventy students from five DISD high schools participated in this activity. Essay Contest: For middle school students, an essay contest was sponsored where students were to finish the sentence: "To me, the phrase 'Democracy and Diversity: Celebrate Your Freedom' means...". Entries were to be judged on originality, execution and thought. Poster Contest: The Dallas Black Women Attorneys (DBWA) and the DBA sponsored a poster contest for students in DBWA's two "adopted" elementary schools. Students created posters symbolizing the theme: "Celebrate Your Freedom: Democracy and Diversity". The entries were judged on theme interpretation, age appropriateness and artistry. The DBA provided savings bonds and presented winners with certificates at their school's annual awards ceremony. The winning poster showed how far the U.S. has come in celebrating democracy and diversity by depicting a courtroom with a diverse group of court officials, parties, and lawyers. The entries can be viewed on our website. Law Week in the Central Jury Rooms: To reach the community, the DBA worked with courthouse jury services departments to allow DBA board members to speak to potential jurors. This year over 5,600 citizens were reached at the average person's most common connection point with our legal system. Through these short talks, citizens are called to recognize the important parts they play in our legal system and are led to see how those parts fit in with our system as a whole. Citizens are told of the positive role law plays in our society and how it makes democracy possible. Lay Day Luncheon: The DBA's Law Day Luncheon honors the judiciary and is sponsored with the Southwestern Legal Foundation. It allowed those who work within the legal system time to reflect upon and celebrate the freedoms provided by our rule of law. As our keynote speaker remarked, "There are people willing to die to taste the freedom of our soil". During this luncheon, the Mayoral Proclamation of Law Day was read, judges were individually recognized, and the Dallas Association of Young Lawyers presented the Liberty Bell and Outstanding Young Lawyer of the Year awards. Approximately 150 lawyers and 70 judges were in attendance. Summary: Through partnerships with community groups, schools and legal organizations, school children, citizens, lawyers and judges were reached with the Lay Day message. The theme of freedom, democracy and diversity was especially highlighted in the contests and the luncheon. Lawyers in the Classroom and Law Week in the Central Jury Rooms reached a maximum number of people in a manner which was relevant to the audience addressed. The message of celebration and recognition of the rights and responsibilities of our legal system will have lasting impact as the children saw the legal system in a positive light, as citizens saw how they fit into that system, and as those in the profession were called to take ownership to ensure the survival of the system they serve. Sample Programs Home | By Audience | By Location | By Sponsoring Organization