Winners: Law Day 2006

Program planners around the country took the Law Day 2006 theme "Liberty Under Law: Separate Branches, Balanced Powers" to heart when coming up with their activities. Whether based in a bar association, a school, a court system, or a broad-based group encompassing all these elements, the projects showed creativity in reaching out to students and the public to convey the importance of the rule of law.

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Fort Riley Office of the Staff Judge Advocate, Kansas—Fort Riley, KS
The Fort Riley Office of the Staff Judge Advocate (OSJA) sponsored a series of activities to commemorate Law Day 2006, including classroom presentations for fifth-graders and seventh-graders, a golf tournament to encourage networking between soldiers and lawyers, and a federal courthouse tour. In the classroom, each presentation was modeled after the Division for Public Education's lesson plans entitled Separation of Powers: Connecting the Separate Powers.

Clearwater Bar Association—Clearwater, FL
Clearwater Bar's Young Lawyers Division has coordinated the trial of Gold E. Locks vs. The Three Bears since the mid '80s. Only once since the 1980s has Gold E. Locks been exonerated. Clearwater Bar Association sponsored over a dozen events for Law Day, including a Judicial Reception highlighting the Separation of Powers, The Great Debate, an adaptation of the Division for Public Education Dialogue on the Separation of Powers aimed at high school students, and a community public education event entitled The People's Law School.

Casa Richard Academy—Detroit, MI
Casa Richard Academy law students, under the guidance of teacher Tim Constant, compared and contrasted the U.S. Constitution with the temporary constitution of Iraq and sent recommendations to the government of Iraq about how to improve and strengthen the language in their constitution regarding separate branches of government to balance powers. The students received responses back from the Vice President's office, from Senators and Representatives, and from other U.S. government officials.

Jacksonville Bar Association—Jacksonville, FL
Members of the legal community joined Mayor John Payton in the signing of the Law Day Proclamation. Jacksonville Bar Association's events highlighted the theme of Law Day with several community events, including a book and art supply drive, judicial presentations at schools, and a Law Day Luncheon with over 600 participants and former Senator Edwards as keynote speaker. Jacksonville Bar Association publicized their event with a television broadcast on local cable stations.

Superior Court of New Jersey-Essex Vicinage—Newark, NJ
The Superior Court of New Jersey-Essex Vicinage Law Day Celebration featured the Court's annual Mock Trial Program in which 38 judges and 75 Essex County Bar partners visited local schools (approximately 3,383 participating students). Winners of student art and writing contests and participant judges, bar partners, and teachers were recognized at a Law Day Luncheon after the judges returned from the schools. In 2007, the Superior Court of New Jersey will celebrate its 10th anniversary commemorating Law Day.

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