From Classroom to Courtroom:
DeKalb Bar Association Raises the Bar in Student Learning

DeKalb Bar Sponsors Cedar Grove High School Students
in a “Journey Through Justice”

In March, 25 students from Cedar Grove High School learned about the law at the State Bar of Georgia. The DeKalb Bar Association provided a $500 sponsorship, through which the transportation and lunch costs were paid for the participants. The State Bar’s Law-Related Education Program, “A Journey Through Justice,” provided a four-hour, interactive learning experience for students and teachers.

Pictured at left: “State witnesses” are all smiles about the verdict.

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As part of Cedar Grove’s Small Business Development pathway, the students who were selected to participate came from the Business Law, Business Essentials, and Entrepreneurship classes. For Annette D. Ford, Cedar Grove’s Career Technology Department chair and business teacher, inviting guest lecturers to speak or using other community resources in her classes is not a new idea. She believes that changing the educational experiences of her students by moving beyond the classroom walls can diversify the array of learning opportunities and connect school lessons with daily life and real problems.

Ms. Ford’s students were given a tour, lessons in civil and criminal law according to Georgia Performance Standards, and a mini bar exam. During the tour the students visited the authentic replica of President Woodrow Wilson’s 19th century law office, which was located in downtown Atlanta in 1882. The museum allowed students to learn about the history of the law in famous Georgia cases and the Civil Rights Movement. Students were further engaged by “Reel Justice,” a 12-minute compilation of 75 past and present Hollywood films depicting a variety of law-related courtroom scenes and cases. “I did not realize how much the law is performed in movies. It also plays a role in every aspect of our lives,” said business law student Peter Carreras.

In passing the bar exam, the students were ready to conduct their mock trial, State v. Hansel and Gretel. With the gavel, robe, witnesses, and juror, the drama of the courtroom was role-played by the students and chaperones. Just minutes before the mock trial was set to begin, the business and business law students were working furiously – reviewing opening statements, consulting witnesses, jotting down notes. Law-Related Director Deborah Craytor, Esq., floated from prosecutor to defense, answering questions and offering tips. Breeahna Gresham said, “The role-play allowed me to experience what it is like to be an attorney. It is my future career of choice.” After the mock trial, the juror deliberated and delivered a verdict on all counts. The experience truly sparked the students’ interest, and some may look back and consider it a defining moment in their decision to go to law school, said Cedar Grove’s graduation coach, Ursula Mack.

Business and Computer Science Industry Certification standards suggest that good programs require access to the world beyond the classroom so that students will see the relevance and usefulness of the curriculum both in and out of school, said Ms. Ford. “Mock trials are conducted in the classroom but the experience is different in an actual courtroom. Our principal, Ms. JoAnn Williams-West, encourages the use of community resources to enhance learning and increase student achievement. As an educator, I am encouraged by the generosity of the DeKalb Bar Association. It shows that the community cares about young people and their learning beyond the classroom.” Thanks to the financial generosity of the DeKalb Bar Association, the world of law for Ms. Ford’s business students knows neither economic barriers nor other limitations.