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.

Final Law Day of 2011

On Friday, May 20^th, the sun was shining as our freshmen boarded buses to go on the last Law Day of 2011. Instead of going to Law Firms, half of the freshmen went to the Navy Yard and the other half went to the Catholic University of America.

As soon as our students arrived at the Navy Yard they were greeted by Captain Robert A. Sanders, the commanding officer of the base. After the introductions, students departed to see the display Ship Barry and one of the Navy Courtrooms. In the courtroom, students witnessed a mock trial where real lawyers presented arguments to Navy judges. The case involved a woman, Stevens, who suffered from ‘Battered Women’s Syndrome’ and had killed her husband. The lawyer for Stevens argued that due to Battered Women’s Syndrome she killed her husband because she perceived immediate danger. The attorney representing the United States argued against this claim. Despite the guilty verdict, there was a general consensus among students that Stevens should have been found not guilty. After the trial, students had the opportunity to ask the judge, attorneys and clerk of the court room questions.

The other element of the trip to the Navy Yard was a guided tour of Display Ship Barry. Our guide taught our students about etiquette on naval ships, and he explained that ice cream machine never works because it is the least important piece of equipment on the ship. They also learned about sound-powered telephones which enable communication without the use of external power.

At the Catholic University of America, students were greeted by an Admissions officer. They participated in a power point presentation about the school after which, students had the opportunity to partake in a question and answer period. Questions ranged from what sports are available and whether they have ballet classes to what the required GPA is for admittance. On the tour of the campus, students saw everything from classrooms to the library to the campus center. One group even had the opportunity to go into the Basilica. The students’ favorite part of the tour was the dorms. Visiting CUA gave many students their first look at college life.

Whether students had the opportunity to be JAG Lawyers or college students for the day, our final Law Day was a great success!

Law Day Takes on Consumer Rights

The situation: a brother and sister buy used bikes from an online retailer for a low price. After their 5 day warranty expired the bikes fall apart. Can they get their money back? Is the website responsible? What rights does a consumer have? This is the issue that TMA students debated in February’s Law Day.

Students took on roles as consumers, parents and the website to debate the issue and come to a resolution. Each group had the facts of the case and relevant laws at their disposal to formulate their position. A panel of students, acting as the better business bureau, listened to each side of the argument and then decided on a resolution. In one group, the panel decided that the website would replace only one of the bikes, in hopes that both sides would be a happy.

Students learned that as consumers we have rights that we need to know so they are not infringed upon. Law Day Students improved their critical thinking skills and learned techniques to advocate for themselves. The next Law Day will be Friday, March 25th. A big thank you to the chaperones and volunteer lawyers. A special mention goes to ,Eleanor Lewis and Mike Mazer, the authors of this brand new Law Day lesson.

Preparation Makes Perfection!

Post by Alyza Weinberg
Not even the snowy weather could stop 9^th graders from boarding buses and heading to Hogan Lovells, Latham & Watkins and Foley & Lardner on January 28th. Upon arrival at the firms, students sat down and learned about advocacy. Students participated in a number of exercises aimed at teaching students that the most important part of an argument is the preparation beforehand. Students learned what steps they should take to prepare an argument. They had to visualize and think about their opponents’ perspective and think about how they would counter their arguments. Students prepared different scenarios and arguments. In one scenario, ‘Morgan’ was trying to convince her parents to allow her a later curfew like her older sibling. In another case, students were stakeholders at a new school, Johnny Cochrane Public Charter High School. They had to play the role of students, teachers and parents articulating their opinions about school uniforms. Students and Volunteer Lawyers both had a great time.

A huge thank you to all the chaperones, Law Day Coordinators and Volunteer Teachers for making Law Day run so smoothly!

December Law Day

On Friday, December 3rd, the freshmen boarded buses and headed to either the Newseum or the U.S Capitol.

At the Newseum, students reveled at the Berlin Wall. Students were surprised that life on the East and West sides of the wall could be so different. Our students were moved by the 9/11 exhibit. The ninth graders were very young in 2001, and the exhibit really captured the horror of that day for Americans. The students were captivated by the newspaper headlines from around the world and listened intently to the documentary about how journalists tried to react and capture that day for the world to witness. Another favorite exhibit was the 4D movie about the evolution of journalism.

At the Capitol, the students’ excursion began by watching a movie about the United States of America. Afterward, the students participated in a guided tour. They had the opportunity to see 49 statues which represent each state. They were surprised to find out that there is no statue representing the district. They were shown the Old Supreme Court Room and the United States Capitol Dome which is 88 meters in height high! Another memorable spot on the tour was a special corner where if you whisper into the ground, it bounces off the wall and you could hear the whisper repeated at the other end of the room.

The students and chaperones had a great time in both locations. As always the day could not have happened without the help of our faculty and staff!

Just another day at TMA

11^th grade students used Tuesday’s Law Firm Tutoring session to work on homework ranging from math problems for Algebra II to a take home exam on the Scarlet Letter.

Tomorrow 9^th grade students will be heading to either the Newseum or the Capitol for the third Law Day. Stay-tuned for a post about tomorrow’s Law Day!

Atten Hut!

This past Friday, half of the 9th grade class spent its Law Day at the Navy Yard. They watched a mock trial of a military appeal case and toured an decommissioned combat ship. More information on the trip, as well as the excited reflections from military personnel can be found here.

Don't mock this trial

This past Friday, half of the 9th Grade participated in the latest installment of Law Day. Law Day, a four-part program that introduces students to facets of the law relevant to their lives, occurs every month throughout the course of one's freshman year at TMA. Themes of Law Day include discrimination, advocacy, and preparation.

On Friday, students studied various aspects of a criminal trial. Students, separated into 4 groups, then planned and performed a mock trial, The People vs. Zora Peters, using what they had just learned and incorporating eyewitness testimony and documentary evidence. In the case, Zora (a decorated martial arts student) is accused of battery after an altercation with her (lower-belted) peer Jamaal Bond. Students chose their roles, giving opening and closing statements, direct and cross examination, serving as witnesses and delivering the judgment in the case. Students thoroughly enjoyed the hands-on activity, relishing the opportunity to be a litigator in action. At the end of the afternoon, the results were split evenly among the 4 groups, with the defense winning two acquittals and the prosecution levying two convictions.

Above: Darnell Hudson channels his inner Thurgood Marshall in giving a eloquent and moving cross-examination of the prosecution. His performance, as one judge pointed out, was the pivotal moment in his client's eventual acquittal.

A Newsworthy Outing

Just before that long hiatus otherwise known as Winter Break, half of the ninth grade class visited the Newseum, arguably the most engaging museum DC has to boast. This trip, a counterpart to Law Day, led students on a journey through some of the most newsworthy events of the past century. Students learned the process of collecting, reporting and disseminating news in a vast variety of mediums. They saw the courageous and heartfelt reporting of 9/11 and the revealing reporting used to help law agencies solve crimes. They experienced the evocative photojournalism of events ranging from Hurricana Katrina to Obama's Inaguration.

The students also took a crash course in the rights protected under the First Amendment. They saw how it not only protects abstract and lofty ideas but also aspects relavent to their daily lives. Examining life on the other side of the Berlin Wall, students saw what life could be like without the likes of a First Amendment. To put it bluntly, they did not envy those born behind the iron curtain.

In the end, students were moved by the interactive exhibits and the touching descriptions of events, especially those that they remember from their own lifetimes. Students marveled at the model of the car used by the DC snipers. Many expressed their desire to go back to the museum when they have more than just two hours to explore. They came back to school bragging about their experiences to the other half of the class, who will visit the Newseum at the end of this month. From what I hear, they can't wait.

Law Day #1 - Discrimination

This past week TMA had its first Law Day of the 2009-2010 school year. Approximately 145 ninth graders ventured off to either The Capitol or Hogan & Hartson, a DC Law Firm, to kick off the year. Law Day is a year-long program in which TMA ninth graders join DC lawyers to discuss various facets of the law. Each month, students explore a new topic and combine real-world hypotheticals, group activities, and brief lectures about the finer points of our legal system.

At Hogan & Hartson last Friday, the students participated in activities to gain a better understanding of discrimination and were challenged to think critically about both positive and negative examples in our society. The activity culminated with a student-hosted talk show aimed at getting students to discuss their own views about locker searches, zero-tolerance policies in school, and prioritized public housing.

While half of the ninth grade was at the law firm, the others visited the Capitol to see where our legislative process takes place. Many noted that the highlight was the "whisper spot" in the old house chamber. Due to the acoustics of this room, you can whisper into your hands and (amazingly) be heard all the way across the room!

Students are already excitedly awaiting the next Law Day on November 13^th. Thanks a million to Hogan & Hartson and the DC Capitol Staff for all of their help on Law Day to make the experience such a positive one!