Los Angeles Superior Court, CA Contact: Jerrianne Hayslett, Public Information Officer Los Angeles Superior Court 111 No. Hill St., Rm 107-A, Los Angeles, CA 90012 E-mail: jhayslet@co.la.ca.us Activity Summary: The Los Angeles Superior Court’s celebration of Law Day 1998 was -- and continues to be -- an interactive Internet program for upper elementary, junior high and high school students that provides a courtroom tour, career information and a question-and-answer session with a judge. The program allows anyone with Internet access to take a virtual field trip to court and pose questions to a judge without having to sign permission slips, pack lunches or board buses. This project was envisioned by the Court’s executive officer who wanted to capitalize on the opportunities offered by the advanced technology of the Internet to reach young people in an effort to inform and educate them about the court system. The "Courtroom 2000" Web site creates a forum to increase public awareness of the rule of law as it is available to any classroom or individual with Internet access, and allows anyone to pose questions about the judicial system and rule of law, and receive answers. "Courtroom 2000" embraces the Law Day 1998: Celebrate Your Freedom theme in that this project invites direct dialogue between citizens and judges, who in California are elected officials. This is a freedom that is virtually unknown in most other governments around the world. It embodies the foundation of democracy in which "the people decide," which the jury system embraces. The project also embraces the Constitutional assurances that ensure that everyone in America is entitled to a fair hearing as individuals can ask a judge questions and receive answers about any aspect of the legal system. Flyers about the project were sent to all 1,700 public schools in Los Angeles County in advance of the May 1 launch date. The Web site reached a potential 225,000 students in Los Angeles County who have Internet access in their classrooms. The Court issued several press releases and sent press packets to 25 local and national print and broadcast news organizations announcing the Web site and demonstration at a Los Angeles high school. The event was covered by newspaper, wire, and radio and television organizations, including a Spanish-language television station and The Wall Street Journal. This project was developed in partnership with the Los Angeles County Office of Education and the Los Angeles County Bar Association, and was acknowledged by proclamation from the Los Angeles County Bar Association. The approach was novel and innovative from the standpoint that it provides an educational and informational forum using current technology in a format that is appealing to young people. It is also unique in that no program existed to accomplish the desired goals of the "Ask the Judge" feature, which was for the questions and answers to be accessible to everyone who visits the site. Therefore, the Court’s technology staff developed its own prototype. The effectiveness of this approach can be measured in the number of questions the judge received -- more than five dozen in the first hour that the Web site was operational, and even though school is now recessed for the summer, he continues to receive questions. Although originally planned to be a three-year project, the infinite possibilities will allow this program to be a constantly evolving permanent outreach endeavor. The Court has already translated it into Spanish, Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese, and has begun work on additional translations. More "doors" will be added to the courthouse corridor until all aspects of the court system, from juvenile to probate and from family law to criminal proceedings, are included. Plans also include adding video scenarios of young people using dispute resolution techniques to settle conflicts and problems. The Court will also develop different educational tracks of the program to accommodate the learning of elementary, middle and high school students. Visit the Virtual Courtroom 2000! Sample Programs Home | By Audience | By Location | By Sponsoring Organization