On May 21, as part of the ongoing recognition of Law Day in Vermont, a group of Washington County legal professionals gathered in the library of Montpelier High School to demonstrate the law in action. Nearly 50 students of teacher Jerry Tillotson’s history classes participated. The students met with Judge Timothy B. Tomasi, currently the presiding judge in the Washington County Superior Court Civil Division, Sarah Buxton, Esq., K. Heather Devine, Esq., current president of the Washington County Bar Association, VBA President Judith Dillon, Esq., and Michael Tarrant, Esq.
The volunteers began with introductions and shared stories of their paths into their legal careers. The kids then got a quick lesson in the First Amendment right of peaceful assembly so that they could grapple with a hypothetical fact pattern involving a planned protest of the Israel-Hamas war on a college campus.
The students advise the College administration that they will be having the protest which will include a gathering of students chanting remarks designed to draw attention to the conflict and seeking disclosure and divestment of the College’s investments with entities that do business with Israel. Fearing the demonstrations would impede classes, interfere with the educational purpose of the College, and the potential risk to public safety, the College administration imposed a ban prohibiting the demonstration from going forward. The students filed an injunction asking the Court to lift the ban on the demonstrations.
The students were separated into two groups – one representing the administration and the other the student protestors. The volunteers discussed the famous U.S. Supreme Court free speech cases of Village of Skokie v. National Socialist Party (1978), and Cox v. New Hampshire (1941) with the kids. They spent some time learning the legal standards and preparing to discuss points and make arguments in support of their positions and then two advocates were chosen from each team to plead their case to Judge Tomasi (who wore his robe!) The court convened with Heather Devine serving as bailiff, insuring courtroom demeanor was observed. Each side had approximately 10 minutes to make their case. The Judge didn’t render a decision, but he did ask questions of the “litigants.” The students proved very capable of thinking on their feet and discussing questions not raised during the group discussions.
As things wrapped up, Judge Tomasi answered the kids’ questions about the legal system, including about the most challenging cases he has handled, how many cases he handles, and “why do judges wear robes?” The presenters encouraged the kids to reach out to them or to the VBA with any questions they might have about a potential career in law and copies of the “On Your Own” Booklet for emerging adults.
U-32 Too
This was the second Washington County Law Day event. On April 18, Heather Devine, along with Tarrant, Gillies, and Shems Law Clerk Mike Lucey, Andrew Marchev, Esq., and Judith Dillon presented a slightly different Law Day program, but still on the First Amendment “right of the people peaceably to assemble.”
The legal volunteers worked with the junior history class of U-32 teacher Geoff Greene and his colleague Christian Martin to coordinate an event which included approximately 15 students.
Rather than presenting a mock argument, the U-32 kids were separated into four groups who met with one of the volunteer attorneys to engage in a discussion of three U.S. Supreme Court cases reviewing the limits on the right to assemble. (Village of Skokie v. National Socialist Party (1978); Schenck v. Pro-Choice Network of Western NY (1997); Edwards v. South Carolina (1963))
The students provided reactions to the cases, and the groups tested how the court might respond to different fact patterns including a teacher leaving school to attend a protest at the statehouse.
Law Day is an annual commemoration held on May 1st to celebrate the rule of law and cultivate a deeper understanding of the legal system. Learn more about the history of Law Day and past themes at the ABA website, here. The ABA has a theme every year for Law Day and makes materials available for lawyers and educators to use in their home communities. However, as the Washington County volunteers and others have demonstrated, there’s plenty of scope to be creative with Law Day, and any day can be Law Day.
Did you or your county bar association sponsor a Law Day event or engage in other community outreach recently? Send us some photos and give us the who, what, when, where and why and we will spread the word. Your event may inspire others to reach out in their own communities.
If you are planning a law-related event with Vermont school students and would like pocket constitutions or, “On Your Own” booklets (for high school students) contact the VBA at info@vtbar.org and we will get them out to you.
Below are some photographs of the Montpelier event, courtesy of Judith Dillon and Sarah Buxton.
Written by Judith Dillon and Kim Velk
