CBA Record July-August 2025

Lawyers in the Classroom: A Key to Civic Growth and Student Voice

By Tiffani M. Watson, M.Ed., Managing Director, CBA Lawyers in the Classroom program A t age 5, Justice Jesse G. Reyes dreamed of becoming a lawyer. Raised in a South Side Chicago

At Goudy, students asked questions in both English and Spanish, reflecting the vibrancy of their school community. One student asked, “Have you ever been persuaded for a reason or another?” Reyes responded, “My decisions are based solely on facts and evidence,” modeling the integrity at the heart of judicial service. At Thorpe, students leaned in as he spoke about self-determination and ser vice. “I became a lawyer because lawyers speak for those who can’t speak for them selves,” he said. Expanding Students’ Aspirations LIC, a program under the auspices of the CBA but sustained through independent funding, brings hundreds of volunteer attorneys into 60 public schools across the city each year. The attorneys intro duce students to the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and their roles as active, informed citizens through interactive les sons. For many students, it’s the first time they’ve met a lawyer—an experience that can shift their perspective and expand their aspirations. Justice Reyes believes every student deserves that experience. “When students meet lawyers who look like them or share their stories, it opens up a world of possibility,” he said. “This program helps them believe in themselves and in what they can achieve.” Through Lawyers in the Classroom, the legal community plays a vital role in nurturing civic identity, building respect, and empowering students to participate in our democracy with confidence. To support Lawyers in the Classroom, visit https//givebutter.com/cba_lic_official or contact Tiffani M. Watson, M.Ed. at twatson@chicagobar.org.

neighborhood by a hardworking immi grant father, Reyes grew up in a modest, working-class household. Though he had few direct role models in the legal field, his passion for reading and fascination with historical figures such as Abraham Lincoln helped chart his path. “I realized many of the founding fathers were lawyers, and they helped build our country,” Reyes said. “I felt most con nected to Lincoln. I saw myself in him.” Today, that dream has become reality. Justice Reyes now serves on the Illinois First District Appellate Court—the first Latino elected to that position. And he remains deeply committed to helping the next generation see themselves in the law and beyond. That’s why he proudly sup ports the Lawyers in the Classroom (LIC) and urges attorneys across Chicago to get involved. “This program is so worthwhile,” Reyes said. “It helps students understand that they have a voice—and more importantly, it helps them understand the Constitu tion and how they can become productive members of society.” Law Week Lessons During this year’s Law Week, Justice Reyes participated in LIC visits at William C. Goudy School and O.A. Thorpe Scholas tic Academy—two Chicago Public Schools where he connected with 7th and 8th grade students through the program’s signature lesson, “A Visitor from Outer Space.” The imaginative civics activity chal lenged students to examine the Bill of Rights and decide which five freedoms they would defend when explaining

Justice Jesse G. Reyes visiting a Chicago school with Lawyers in the Classroom.

democracy to an alien visitor. But beyond the lesson, Reyes’ presence offered some thing far more powerful: representation, encouragement, and belief in students’ potential. “I didn’t have many people pushing me to become a lawyer or judge,” Reyes shared. “But I believed in myself—and I kept going.” He now brings that same message into classrooms, encouraging students to pursue their dreams and recognize their agency. “The Constitution isn’t just a document—it’s a living guide to justice, rights, and shared responsibility,” he told them. Reyes believes civic education helps students grow not only intellectually, but socially and emotionally. “Learning about the rule of law helps students respect not only the law, but also themselves and others,” he said. “It teaches them how to work together, listen, think critically, and engage with society in meaningful ways.”

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