Washington Students and Lawyers Enjoy "Law Week 2000: A Lawyer and Judge in Every School"

Seattle, Washington, June 14, 2000 — Over 6,000 Washington students, 40 judges and almost 400 lawyers participated in Law Week 2000 during the week of May 8-12, 2000. Lawyers and judges met with students to discuss current legal issues and specific areas of the law, including double jeopardy, consequences of perjury, degrees of crime, and public sector law. Some presentations also included mock trials in which students played all the courtroom roles.

Teachers were enthusiastic in their praise for Law Week 2000. They noted that students were very attentive during the programs and participated in lively discussions of current issues. Following are some comments expressed by teachers participating in the program: "Gave students new insights and understanding about our legal system"; "(The lawyer) was an informative guest. He excelled at providing real-life examples of the law and its implications"; "Lawyers were great with a lot of inspiring information. They really caught the interest of the middle school students."

Statewide Law Week Chairman Russell Speidel, who was the driving force behind last year's Law Day activities in Chelan and Douglas counties, said, "Law Week presentations provide students with a deeper understanding of the constitution, the legal system, and the foundation of citizenship. It's exciting to see kids get so involved in their rights and responsibilities as citizens."

Bellevue lawyer and WSBA Governor Victoria Vreeland, who prepared a mock trial for fourth graders at Bennett Elementary, said that by the end of the trial, "the kids all understood the absolute necessity of jury trials, the need to protect our basic rights, and the importance of voting — even if it is only one vote."

Law Week 2000 is one of the many Washington State Bar Association programs geared to increase citizen understanding of the important role that the law and the lawyers and judges who protect their rights play in their lives. Law Week 2000 was part of Law Day, celebrated each May across the country. Law Day was established in 1958 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower to strengthen the United States' heritage of liberty, justice and equality under law. Each year, hundreds of state and local bar associations, national organizations, businesses and schools join the American Bar Association in conducting and participating in thousands of programs.

The Washington State Bar Association is a private, non-profit organization authorized by the Washington State Supreme Court to license the state's 25,000 lawyers. The WSBA both regulates lawyers under the authority of the Court and serves its members a professional association — all without public funding. As a regulatory agency, it administers the bar exam, provides record-keeping and licensing functions, and administers the lawyer discipline program. As a professional association, the WSBA provides continuing legal education for attorneys, in addition to numerous other educational and member-service activities.