Law Day: 8th graders argue like defense attorneys

  • Published
  • By 1st Lt. William J. Diggs
  • 2nd Bomb Wing Legal office
BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. --  Members of the 2nd Bomb Wing Legal office traveled to Green Acres Middle School in Bossier City, La., May 11, to provide students with a lesson on the law as a part of Law Day 2011, an annual event sponsored nationally by the American Bar Association.

In the late 1950s, the ABA and President Dwight D. Eisenhower initiated Law Day with the idea of encouraging attorneys and paralegals nationwide to venture out into the community, particularly to local schools, to teach people about the law with the aim of inspiring those people and helping them to appreciate the importance of the law in our society.

In 1961, a joint Congressional resolution designated May 1 as the official annual date for Law Day, and every year since then, Law Day is celebrated nationwide on various days throughout the month of May.

The ABA's theme for Law Day 2011 is "The Legacy of John Adams," which necessitates focusing on the right to defense counsel and the importance of defense counsel's ability to effectively argue on behalf of a client.

This year, the 2 BW Legal office from Barksdale, home of Air Force Global Strike Command, visited two eighth grade English classes taught by Mrs. Felicia Gunn at Green Acres Middle School. Each class consisted of approximately 25 children.

Capt. Matthew C. Deacon, 2 BW legal chief of contracts and adverse actions, instructed the students on how to formulate an effective argument, a lesson that applies both in the courtroom and in aspects of everyday life. Thereafter, Staff Sgt. Caroline E. Martin, 2 BW legal general law paralegal, led the students through impromptu arguments during which the students were given a chance to practice the techniques on which they had just been instructed. Throughout the impromptu arguments, Senior Airman Andrew J. Kaltenmark, 2 BW legal general law paralegal, provided logistical assistance and distributed candy to those students who volunteered.

To participate in an impromptu argument, a student first had to volunteer without knowing their topic. The student's topic then appeared on screen, and the student had 30 seconds to prepare their argument. Finally, the student had 90 seconds to present their argument and rebut counterpoints presented by classmates and instructors.

Some of the more notable topics included the following: should cell phones be allowed at school, should cyber-bullying be considered a crime, who is a better artist: Katy Perry or Lady Gaga and is reality TV a good thing for society?

Following impromptu arguments, Capt. Jessica L. Robbins, 2 BW legal chief of environmental law, taught the students about the right to defense counsel. Captain Robbins focused on John Adams's legacy as the nation's first lawyer-president and his role in structuring the right to defense counsel. She also discussed the meaning of the right to defense counsel today and highlighted a number of cases involving renowned defense counsel, such as the O.J. Simpson murder trial.

Finally, after Captain Robbins completed her lessons, Capt. Amanda L.K. Linares, 2 BW legal chief of general law, who previously served as the Area Defense Counsel at Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., hosted an interactive discussion with the students on the life of a defense counsel. Captain Linares talked about how she was able to represent clients even though they may have committed a serious offense and provided an example as to how a persuasive argument was able to help her in representing a client.

At the end of the lesson, students were provided an essay question that served both as a required homework assignment for the class as well as an optional essay contest wherein the 2 BW Legal office would select one winner from each of the two classes. The essay asked each student to read a fact pattern, assume the role of a defense attorney and write an essay arguing why their client was not guilty of the crime of larceny. The winners of this year's essay contest are Sierra Trent and Zach Alber.

Expressing gratitude on behalf of the 2 BW Legal office, Captain Deacon stated, "We would really like to thank Mrs. Gunn and Green Acres Middle School for providing the legal office with the opportunity to present a Law Day lesson at the school. The students were very enthusiastic, and they all did a great job on their essays. We enjoyed the experience and definitely look forward to working on Law Day again next year."