Eighth Judicial Circuit Bar Association, Gainesville, FL Contact: Patti Phillips Locascio, Law Week Chair Eighth Judicial Circuit Bar Association P. O. Box 113125, Gainesville, FL 32611 E-mail: locasci@nervm.nerdc.ufl.edu Activity Narrative: Conservatively estimating, our Law Week activities, which spanned over a month's time, reached well over 2,750 members of the public and drew participation from over 150 members of our local legal community (attorneys, courthouse personnel, and legal secretaries.) Our school poster contest with its theme, Celebrate Your Freedom, resulted in one of five statewide winners (who celebrated in Tallahassee at Florida's Sesquicentennial Celebration with his teacher and parents.) Our local bar association is hoping to use the poster as the cover of our local bar directory this year, thus enabling all of our members and others who purchase the directory to be reminded of Law Week all year long. Law School for the Public was taught by over fourteen volunteer attorneys to members of the public at our local community college weekly for six evenings. The class was advertised on the cover of the community college booklet, which is sent to several thousand members of the community. Our popular golf tournament had 47 entrants and included lunch. This was one of two social events, fostering collegiality among members of the bar. Our other social event, our traditional Law Week Luncheon, was organized by the Gainesville Legal Secretaries Association and featured keynote speaker Gainesville Police Department's new Police Chief (he had been on the job only three weeks). Before approximately 80 guests, Chief Shinnabon discussed plans for the future law enforcement of Gainesville and addressed issues of citizens' rights and freedom. We arranged for the City of Gainesville and for Alachua County to present Proclamations declaring May to be Law Month (and the City of Macclenny in Baker County proclaimed a Law Week). The President of the Eighth Judicial Circuit Bar Association accepted the Proclamation for Alachua County with local television coverage, thus expanding the public's awareness of Law Week even further. Dozens of attorneys volunteered to speak to fifth graders throughout our circuit (several counties) at their schools about good citizenship and our rights under the U.S. Constitution during the week of May 12 - 16. We reached more than 2,000 students in classroom assemblies, which were coordinated with the teachers' lesson plans on government and the Constitution. On Saturday, May 17, Law Month culminated in a Law Fair at Gainesville's large Oaks Mall. We estimated that our Mock Trial was watched by approximately 100 people and our public service information booths were visited by up to 500 people during our four-hour event. Our theme, as reflected by posters, display signs, buttons and bookmarks purchased from the ABA and handed out to shoppers, was Celebrate Your Freedom. Media coverage prior to the event was excellent, including a headline on the Oak Mall marquees and posters throughout the mall for several days prior to the event, Gainesville Sun advertisements provided by the mall, a featured article (not an advertisement) on the Business page of the Gainesville Sun about the Bart Simpson mock trial, and public service announcements on the radio. The Law Fair provided a venue for exhibitors to meet the public. We also included a Meet-A-Lawyer booth to give people of all ages a chance to talk with an attorney about general issues. After the Law Fair, all exhibitors were enthusiastic about taking part in next year's Law Fair. By virtue of our having invited various community groups to participate in the Law Fair, new partnerships were created between our local lawyers/bar association and such groups as Shands Hospital's Organ Procurement, Children's Home Society, and Alachua County Fire Rescue. Continuing relationships were maintained with such participating groups as Three Rivers Legal Services, 8FAWL, Guardian Ad Litem Pro Se Coordinators, Project Payback, Family Mediation, Small Claims Mediation, and Teen Court. The Mock Trial, The People v. Bart Simpson, our featured performance starring a local judge and a cast of attorneys, took place at the Oaks Mall Amphitheater. We rented professional microphones, some members of the cast dressed in fabulously identifiable costumes, and the Oaks Mall Shoppers were members of the jury. As Bart was accused of stealing his friend Milhouse's Butterfingers candy bars, we brought plenty of Butterfingers to share with all of the children (and adults!) who asked questions after the trial and who voted as members of the jury, thus promoting enthusiastic participation of the audience. The children explored questions relating to trial procedure and found that the prosecution failed to meet its burden of proof -- Bart was not guilty. Sample Programs Home | By Audience | By Location | By Sponsoring Organization