The Florida Law Related Education Association Contact: Annette Boyd, Pitts, Executive Director The Florida Law Related Education Association, Inc., 1625 Metropolitan CR, Suite B Tallahassee, FL 32308 E-mail ABPflreaED@aol.com Website: www.flrea.org This program was a winner of the 2000 Law Day Activity Awards. Activity Summary: Over 800 Florida judges received the Justice is Served 2000 manual. An estimated 8,000 students have been impacted to date by the materials, which include lessons on the rule of law, an independent judiciary, and Supreme Court case studies. Members of the Florida Supreme Court made personal visits to various schools with the assistance of the Florida Law Related Education Association, Inc., and interacted with students about our justice system. This collaborative venture included expanded efforts by the Supreme Court to involve judges around the State in the opportunity to visit schools, interact with the students and teach about our justice system. The response from both students and teachers was overwhelmingly positive and the visits became reciprocal learning experiences. Supreme Court members learned about the network of law magnet schools and academies in Florida. Activity Narrative: The Florida Law Week 2000 initiative brought together diversity and democracy through a series of innovative programs and collaborating organizations. Focusing on the theme, “Celebrate Your Freedom: Speak Up for Democracy and Diversity”, the Florida model expanded public awareness outreach and education while effectively bringing together the bench, the bar, and the children. Florida Law Week 2000 combined hands-on public education activities as follows: Development and distribution of 800+ manuals with Law Week lessons for judges addressing the rule of law, independent judiciary, and elected vs. appointed judges; “Speak up for democracy and diversity” statewide essay and poster contests; Law Week education programs for children and families held at the Supreme Court of Florida; Sponsoring of a Law Week appellate brief writing competition for high school students; Non-competitive oral arguments for students at the Supreme Court with four justices participating; Visits to schools by Supreme Court Justices; Special awards luncheon presided by Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Major B. Harding. Students of all ages were targeted to participate in the Law Week 2000 essay and poster contests. The theme generated thoughts, words, and symbols of unity and the strength diversity provides within our democracy. Winners of the high school, middle school, and elementary divisions were chosen. Students were required to describe how their drawings related to the theme. The high school winning poster became the Law Week 2000 T-shirt logo. The essays written by Florida students elicited discussions of freedom within first generation American families. Tears flowed at the awards ceremony as children recounted personal experiences. Students found positive and enlightening ways to demonstrate the impact of diversity in our democratic culture. Each student read their essay to a captivated audience of Supreme Court justices, teachers, children and attorneys. Chief Justice Major B. Harding presided over the ceremonies and presented the Law Week awards, which in design were based on the Supreme Court building. Over 760 entries were received this year. Collaborating with the Supreme Court on this year’s initiative, The Florida Law Related Education Association, Inc., developed a series a series of lessons to assist judges with classroom Law Week presentations. These lessons will serve as a valuable resource for judges and attorneys throughout Florida. While the manual was mailed directly to over 800 judges, thousands of Florida attorneys also have access to the materials through The Florida Bar website. Bringing the appellate courts to the classroom, the Supreme Court of Florida, The Florida Law Related Education Association, Inc., and The Florida Bar Law Related Education Committee designed an appellate brief writing competition as part of this year’s innovative Law Week program. Briefs were submitted by high school students from Coral Reef Senior High School in Orlando, presented oral arguments before four of Florida’s Supreme Court justices. ”They were poised, focused, and very knowledgeable,” stated one Supreme Court justice. As part of the Florida Law Week 2000 program, students winning the essay, poster, and appellate brief writing competitions were invited to Tallahassee with their parents and teachers to attend an educational program and awards ceremony at the Supreme Court. The students experienced justice first hand as they decided a case involving the constitutionality of school uniforms. More about this program Sample Programs Home | By Audience | By Location | By Sponsoring Organization