John Marshall Metro High School Contact: Mary Jenkins, Teacher/Law Day Coordinator John Marshall Metro High School Tel: 773.534.6455 Project Description: For over a decade, Mary Jenkins has devised special Law Day activities to inspire students at John Marshall Metro High School on Chicago's Westside. Last year, English and business teachers distributed guidelines for the essay contest on "What Freedom Means to Me." The students were really excited to learn about law-related careers from Afro-American professionals, including police officers, a judge, a young female lawyer with a prominent law firm, a research analyst with the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, and two FBI special agents. Sponsoring Entity: The Business Education Department of John Marshall Metro High School with help from Cook County Bar Association in obtaining volunteers. Volunteers: 7 professionals who shared career information. People Benefiting: Approximately 600 students Best Things about This Project: "The students always learn a lot about legal procedures, voter registration, and how to avoid conflicts with the law." "It is an opportunity to learn about careers in law and what a judge, for example, actually does." "The students enjoy having a chance to interact with lawyers, judges, and other professionals who are very patient in answering their questions." What We Learned to Improve Project: "We try to keep the number of students in each session down to 100, which is difficult, but much more effective when you are trying to establish a learning atmosphere." Cost: $500 Sample Programs Home | By Audience | By Location | By Sponsoring Organization