Winners: Law Day 2002

The winning entries for Law Day 2002 showed creativity in putting together strong community teams and reaching out to various segments of the public to convey the importance of the rule of law. In addition, the programs showed great promise in continuing activities throughout the year and adding activities for the next Law Day.

Alaska Court System and the State Bar of Alaska
“The Us in Justice…is Everyone” photo-text exhibit put a face on justice in Alaska. The exhibit featured 37 portraits of diverse Alaskans and their personal statements about what equal justice means to them. Approximately 40,000 Alaskans had the opportunity to view the exhibits at schools, courthouses, and other public venues throughout May 2002. The project succeeded in raising public awareness about our legal system and the work of judges, attorneys, legal organizations, and others in a quest for fairness and equality. The “rule of law” is no longer abstract when a dedicated person gives it a face and a voice.
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Louisiana Center for Law and Civic Education
Middle and high school students and their teachers from all over the state came to New Orleans to attend the Law Day Summit on “Assuring Equal Justice for All.” They interacted with lawyers, judges, and law-enforcement officers. The day began with a mock city council meeting debate of a local teen curfew law. Students presented their recommendations to improve the existing ordinance before a group of local elected officials and city leaders. Breakout sessions followed on assuring equal justice in the workplace, school, and home.
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Minnesota Supreme Court
With the help of a diverse group of co-sponsors, the Minnesota Judicial Center, home of the state’s Judicial Branch and appellate courts, hosted 1,500 people during its first-ever public open house. About half were K-12 students and their teachers. Others were from senior citizens groups, business and social clubs, and the general public. Participants took guided tours of the building, and had opportunities to chat with judges and justices. Other activities included an information fair about law-related topics and court/law careers with more than 20 organizations; multimedia presentations about Minnesota’s courthouses and the structure of the courts; and hands-on activities about fingerprinting and the trial process.
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Nebraska State Bar Foundation and the Nebraska Supreme Court
For the state’s third annual Law Day essay contest, students in grades 7-12 submitted essays examining whether the word “equality” should be added to the Pledge of Allegiance. The essays were judged by sitting Nebraska jurists on the basis of understanding the topic, originality, and creativity, among other criteria. Winners for each grade level, their teachers, administrators, and families were invited to a special Law Day Recognition Luncheon in Lincoln. The Nebraska Supreme Court’s Chief Justice presented the awards, and the Governor gave his Law Day proclamation at the luncheon.
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Pennington County [South Dakota] Bar Association
The Bar reached out to the community through an Ask-a-Lawyer program that answered more than 300 calls. Almost 1,000 grade schools students participated in coloring and poster contests. About 200 high school students attended such activities as a death penalty debate and mock trial, a family law discussion, and a session introducing careers in the law. The play “Impeach Justice Douglas” was presented to audiences of high school students and the general public, and a “Dialogue on Freedom” included many issues raised by the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2002.
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Uintah County [Utah] Justice Court
In its first-ever Law Day celebration, the court conducted an ambitious program of mock trials for grade school students and adults, newspaper articles by the judge providing information and answering questions, and an open house and “ask-the-judge” program. The court also sponsored an art contest and a presentation by the Uintah County Sheriff’s Office. Plans are underway to expand Law Day next year into the government and criminal justice courses of the high school.
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