Law Day Launches Off for School Year

Braving the steady downpour last Friday afternoon, TMA’s ninth graders boarded four school buses and set off to three different DC law firms, Hogan Lovells, Foley & Lardner, and Latham & Watkins for their first law day of the year. Law Day is a year-long program in which TMA ninth graders join DC lawyers six times throughout the year to discuss various aspects of the legal system and law-related careers. Each month, students explore a new topic and combine real-world situations, group activities, and brief lectures about the finer points of the legal system.

This month, students engaged in exercises focused around the central theme of Negotiation. Working in pairs and small groups, the budding lawyers argued opposing opinions over cellphone use and school uniform policies. At Foley Lardner, students excitedly took to the podium to present closing arguments both for and against school uniforms. An impressed Foley Lardner attorney acted as Principal and announced the final ruling, “Students will wear uniforms, but there will be dress down options two or three times per week.” The board room erupted in cheering.

Students boarded buses back to TMA as the sun broke out from the clouds. Skills learned from the first lesson on negotiation will be useful to students when they return for Law Day next month and tackle a case on individual rights. At the conclusion of the lesson, attorneys from each firm come together to nominate and select two “Lawyers of the Day” from each group. The following students were selected as October’s “Lawyers of the Day”: Amorri Jackson, Anthonya James, Cedric Harper, Cericia Wallace, Chanita Platt, Cristal Sandoval, Damon Carrington, Doneeshia Brown, Eric Izzard, George Harris, Isiah Anderson, Joseph Staten, Lamont Street, Marie Edmonds, Olivia Wilson and Tyree Phillips. Congratulations! This month’s recipients were awarded chipotle gift cards for their exemplary performances. Check back here next month for November’s nominees and a recap of the Individual Rights lesson.