Justice Teaching: a rewarding experience.

• Author: Hazeltine, Sheri L.
• Position: Florida Supreme Court

I have been fortunate to work as a volunteer with Justice Teaching, (1) founded by Florida Supreme Court Justice R. Fred Lewis (2) in 2006, with the ultimate goal to pair a legal professional with every elementary, middle, and high school in Florida.

Because of my own love for teaching, children, and my own experiences raising a special needs child with cerebral palsy, I joined the Justice Teaching program in 2007 and attended the attorney training class taught by Justice Lewis and Annette Pitts. I was mesmerized by the passion and liveliness both displayed as they spoke to the crowd of attorneys. They spoke about their deep belief about the importance for students to be educated about the role of the courts in our constitutional structure. They explained how it was not possible to improve justice and government systems unless citizens understood these systems and their legal rights. Both cited statistics and facts showing that most Americans do not understand the basic principles about civics education.

After I took the training class, I was fired up. I hesitantly asked 15th Judicial Circuit Judge John Phillips to join the Justice Teaching program and co-teach students at my son's school, Royal Palm School in Lantana. (3) I was so excited when he accepted.

Since then, Judge Phillips, teacher Regina Brodsky, and I have worked together in the classroom or arranged for the students to be transported by school bus to his courtroom at least 20 times. The students love it when Judge Phillips visits, as his lessons are always educational and entertaining. We have had some of the best mock trials in Judge Phillips' courtroom, including Circuit Judge Richard Oftedahl and myself serving as the attorneys, the students as jurors; and with judicial assistants, courthouse deputies, and friends enlisted as witnesses.

According to Judge Phillips:

In my 30 years as a judge and 9 years as a lawyer, Justice Teaching has been the most rewarding thing I've done. The Justice Teaching lessons available online for use by lawyer and judge volunteers are imaginative, complete, tailored for specific age groups, and easily presented. The main thing volunteers must have, I think, is a love of children, and a desire to communicate the reality of our government and system of laws. Teaching expertise is not necessary! It amazes me how much success we have in Justice Teaching sessions just by "showing up." Students seem to be impressed by meeting actual lawyers and judges...