Licking County Bar Association Contact: Stephanie Clark, Secretary Licking County Bar Association E-mail: sclark@lcounty.com Educating Students and the Public through the Local Newspaper Project Description: The Licking County [Ohio] Bar Association (LCBA) and The Advocate, a daily newspaper in Newark, Ohio, created a year-round program to help students and the newspaper’s readers learn more about the American legal system. The Advocate’s Newspaper in Education (NIE) program provided a newspaper to every high school senior in the county once a week from September to May. A weekly article, written by an LCBA member, gave the facts of a case and described the legal issues involved, posing a question to generate discussion in senior government classes. The next week’s paper would contain the verdict, analyze the applicable law, and discuss how the issue potentially impacts readers. On Law Day, May 1, a mock trial was performed by LCBA volunteers and students before a county-wide student audience that acted as the jurors. Sponsoring Entities: Licking County Bar Association, The Advocate, Licking County Child Enforcement Agency, various law firms, and Longaberger Corporation. People Benefiting: Over 300 high school seniors in the county and the newspaper’s 22,500 subscribers Best Things about This Program: We had broad participation by different facets of the community - members of the bar and bench, educators and students, and the media. Because it was a nine-month program, current developments in the law and a wide range of issues could be shared with students and the community in a timely manner and easy-to-understand format. Interesting comments and questions came from students throughout the year and during the mock trial. Secret of Success: The network of community members, established at the program’s inception, were committed to various aspects of the program and shared their motivation and creativity. Truly, the key to the program’s success was the fact that it was a community program. How-to Advice Define your goals and objectives, and set realistic deadlines to complete each segment of your program. Cost:   $5,250 Sample Programs Home | By Audience | By Location | By Sponsoring Organization