VBA Board Member Alfonso Villegas of Gravel & Shea in Burlington recently organized the VBA’s first “Law Day” program at Burlington High School. On Feb. 13, about 60 seniors from th
e AP Government class attended the two-hour presentation led by Alfonso and a panel made up of Vermont Supreme Court Justices Paul Reiber and Nancy Waples, their law respective clerks, Chris Mullaney and Bob Lyndon, Jill M. Diaz, the executive director for the Vermont Asylum Assistance Project, and Kyle Clauss, a staff attorney at Legal Services Vermont.
Students heard from the justices about what it means to be a judge in Vermont and reviewed the process of creating and implementing laws. The panel discussed with the students – as potential future legal professionals – how they could impact the law. The students were given several group projects to answer questions from the panelists. This culminated in a simulated oral argument of “Whether a tomato is a fruit or a vegetable” – a reenactment of Nix v. Hedden. Students acted as attorneys and argued before Justice Waples and Chief Justice Reiber.
The plan is to make this a yearly event with legal professionals coming together to encourage students to pursue a legal career in Vermont. Alfonso has also organized a presentation for early spring at South Burlington High School.
Community Engagement Initiative
VBA President Judith Dillon is focusing in her presidential year on the pipeline of legal talent in Vermont. (See her President’s column on p. five of the current issue of the Vermont Bar Journal for more information). She’s encouraging Vermont attorneys to reach out to their local schools and youth organizations as part of this effort, as exemplified by the Feb. 13 session at Burlington High School. (The pipeline starts with school kids). The Burlington students got a customized “Law Day” program this month. Every day, after all, is (or could be) Law Day. However, there is also a formal Law Day, an annual event organized by the American Bar Association, that happens on May 1 each year.
This year’s ABA theme is “Voices of Democracy.” In this election year, the theme encourages, “Americans to participate in the 2024 elections by deepening their understanding of the electoral process; discussing issues in honest and civil ways; turning out to vote; and, finally, helping to move the country forward after free and fair elections.”
The ABA has a wealth of resources to share with attorneys who want to carry the message into their communities. This is a great project for county bars or firms or even individuals who want to contribute civics education to their communities. Click to learn more about the ABA Law Day program, to view available resources, and to sign up for information updates.
If you are a VBA member with a plan to engage a local school or community group in learning about the law or the legal profession on Law Day (or at any other time), the VBA can also help. We have pocket Constitutions and the “On Your Own” booklet for students entering adult legal status. For more information just email the VBA at info@vba.org.
