I spent seven hours in the Jefferson County Courthouse yesterday, with my fifteen year old son.
No, he wasn't in trouble with the law; he was participating in a program called Mock Trial. It is an amazing program that many schools throughout the nation engage in. In the Mock Trial program, high school teams are presented with a fictional (albeit realistic) case that might find itS way into court. The team members need to know all of the facts pertaining to the case for both sides - both defense and prosecution. They then compete against other teams. They have attorneys who work with each team, helping them understand the nuances of the court system. When the teams compete, they do not know beforehand whether they will be defending or prosecuting. Yesterday was the first day of state competitions; Matthew's team had won at regionals and was competing against 22 other teams from around the state. As one judge told them yesterday, "Even if you don't pursue the field of law, the experience you are getting today - standing up in a courtroom, presenting your case and thinking on your feet - well, it will benefit you no matter what direction your life takes." Another attorney, after evaluating their first round, told them "You are doing things today which I didn't do until I was three or four years into practice." While there might be some hyperbole there, I agree that they were gaining incredible experience and were presented with an amazing opportunity. I am grateful for the judges (actual courtroom judges) who gave of their time and talents to listen to the "cases" and teach the young people even more about the way the court system actually works. And I am thankful for the attorneys who participate in this program, giving of their time and money to support these young people. Most of all, I am grateful for "my hero," my husband, who, despite working two jobs right now, arranged his schedule and worked long, difficult hours so that he could be there to support Matthew.
I made this "you are my hero" magnetic box to keep all of the sweet notes and cards from my husband. I used all CTMH products except for the 3 pink sparkles. (which I ended up having to glue on because they don't work nearly as well as the CTMH sparkles...)
Wishing you a beautiful weekend,
No, he wasn't in trouble with the law; he was participating in a program called Mock Trial. It is an amazing program that many schools throughout the nation engage in. In the Mock Trial program, high school teams are presented with a fictional (albeit realistic) case that might find itS way into court. The team members need to know all of the facts pertaining to the case for both sides - both defense and prosecution. They then compete against other teams. They have attorneys who work with each team, helping them understand the nuances of the court system. When the teams compete, they do not know beforehand whether they will be defending or prosecuting. Yesterday was the first day of state competitions; Matthew's team had won at regionals and was competing against 22 other teams from around the state. As one judge told them yesterday, "Even if you don't pursue the field of law, the experience you are getting today - standing up in a courtroom, presenting your case and thinking on your feet - well, it will benefit you no matter what direction your life takes." Another attorney, after evaluating their first round, told them "You are doing things today which I didn't do until I was three or four years into practice." While there might be some hyperbole there, I agree that they were gaining incredible experience and were presented with an amazing opportunity. I am grateful for the judges (actual courtroom judges) who gave of their time and talents to listen to the "cases" and teach the young people even more about the way the court system actually works. And I am thankful for the attorneys who participate in this program, giving of their time and money to support these young people. Most of all, I am grateful for "my hero," my husband, who, despite working two jobs right now, arranged his schedule and worked long, difficult hours so that he could be there to support Matthew.
I made this "you are my hero" magnetic box to keep all of the sweet notes and cards from my husband. I used all CTMH products except for the 3 pink sparkles. (which I ended up having to glue on because they don't work nearly as well as the CTMH sparkles...)
Wishing you a beautiful weekend,
Marie with a :-)
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