CBA Record September-October 2022

Lawyers in the Classroom: An E ff ective Civic Education Tool and a Meaningful Opportunity for Lawyer Volunteers By Ann Glynn, CBA Public A ff airs Director

“For me, civic education is the key to inspiring kids to want to stay involved in making a di ff erence.” —Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor, U.S. Supreme Court

Chicago area students an opportunity not only to better understand their rights, r() sL*/ )PUO+ sQU0Wn O0 )/Vsn5* p/+LVe: ;PU -+/Q+s25* *(WWU** VU-U0V* /0 the 600 attorneys who volunteer their time and talent to bring these lessons to LOSU S/+ *)(VU0)*e ]sW/r =)UO0u0Mg =U0O/+ !/(0*UL s) YWz/0sLV5* !/+-/+s)O/0g Ps* been a volunteer with the LIC program S/+ KG nUs+*e <;P+/(QP/() 2n )O2U pO)P Z^!g YWz/0sLV5* Ps* PsV P(0V+UV* /S *)sSS -s+)OWO-s)U s* '/L(0)UU+*e ^)5* s p/0f VU+S(L /+Qs0Oms)O/0 )Ps) rU0Uu)* r/)P s))/+0Un* s0V *)(VU0)*g: *sOV =)UO0u0Me _U sVVUVg <4U )UsWP )P/(QP)f-+/'/Mf ing lessons on constitutional law issues that are designed to help students develop skills in debate, negotiation, persuasion, critical thinking, compromise, and theneed to understand multiple sides to an issue. Many of the lessons allow the students to act as judge or juror. They learn impor f tant information after every lesson that )PUn P/-US(LLn pOLL ()OLOmU O0 )PU S()(+Ue:

T he CBA Media and Civic Edu f Ws)O/0 ^0We5* bVps+V ]e ZUpO* ^^ Lawyers in the Classroom (LIC) program has been providing civic and social justice education to Chicago ele f mentary and middle school students for more than 30 years. By placing attorney s0V Lsp *)(VU0) '/L(0)UU+* O0 J0VfD)P grade social science/social studies and literature classrooms to teach students their constitutional rights and encourage them to be civically engaged, the pro f gram provides early and critical access to civics education that students otherwise might not be exposed to until their high school years. The LIC program currently reaches nearly 5,000 students in 60 Chi f cagoland schools each year. More than Gc1 /S )PU*U *WP//L* s+U O0 L/pfO0W/2Ug underserved communities. 6/L(0)UU+* -s+)0U+ pO)P )UsWPU+* )/ -+/'OVU Q+sVUfLU'UL LU**/0* s0V M0/pLf UVQU rs*UV /0 +UsLfLOSU Uo-U+OU0WU*e ;PU lessons demonstrate how the judicial system works, bring awareness of racial injustice and racial equity principles, and share interactive and relatable examples. While educating students on the U.S. Constitution and their constitutional rights and responsibilities under the law, attorneys help them develop critical think f O0Q *MOLL*g u0V )PUO+ */WOsL N(*)OWU '/OWUg s0V offer the opportunity to interact with posi f tive adult role models and legal advocates. The LIC program director, Tiffani Watson M. Ed., came to the CBA in 2019 from the Constitutional Rights Foundation

where the program originated. As an educator and former school adminis f trator, Watson regularly updates and develops new lessons to incorporate important and timely constitutional and controversial issues that arise in daily life. <;PU W(++OW(L(2 W/'U+* W(++U0) O**(U* like the protections offered under the Fourth Amendment and how it applies to the Breonna Taylor case or helps students understand free speech limitations with the Charlottesville Right to Unite Rally as context. LIC provides students with the knowledge to be active and respon f *OrLU -s+)OWO-s0)* O0 */WOU)n& O) /SSU+*

LIC volunteers Jackson Esker and Alexander Righi work through a civics lesson with local students.

14 September/October 2022