Teachers, Lawyers and Judges Look Forward to Law Week 2001

Seattle, Washington, April 25, 2001 — Educators, students, lawyers and judges are looking forward to Law Week 2001. In an effort to expand public legal education, the Law Week planning committee hopes to have a volunteer lawyer or judge in every school in Washington during the week of April 30 to teach students about specific areas of the law, conduct mock trials, and discuss current legal issues.

"Every lawyer and judge in Washington has a rewarding opportunity to give back to their local communities, to enrich the lives of students, and to personally contribute to better public legal education," said Seattle lawyer Ron Bemis, the statewide chair for Law Week 2001.

Last May, over 12,000 Washington students, 49 judges and more than 400 lawyers participated in Law Week. Lawyers and judges in 14 Washington counties made classroom visits. Participating lawyers and judges worked with teachers to ensure that the material presented fit in well with existing lesson plans.

Last year's chair, Wenatchee lawyer Russell Speidel, 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."

Law Week is one of many Washington State Bar Association programs designed to increase citizen understanding of the important role that the law plays in their lives. Washington's Law Week coincides with the American Bar Association's Law Day, celebrated on May 1 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 the law.

The Washington State Bar Association is a private, nonprofit organization authorized by the Washington Supreme Court to license the state's 26,000 lawyers. The WSBA both regulates lawyers under the authority of the Court and serves its members as 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.