During the last week in July, four lucky high school students from Washington Parish participated in Justice Camp, a multi-day program held at the federal courthouse for the Eastern District of Louisiana in New Orleans.
This is the fifth year of Justice Camp, which is hosted by the New Orleans Chapter of the Federal Bar Association. It is designed for rising 9th and 10th graders to impart civics education and advocacy skills that prepare students for college, career, and civic engagement. In all, twenty-nine high school students, representing fourteen schools, participated actively in Justice Camp 2022.
United States Magistrate Judge Janis van Meerveld, co-chair of Justice Camp, said "We were thrilled to have these students from Bogalusa High School with us. The Eastern District of Louisiana serves 13 parishes and we hope to get student participation from all of them. We are so grateful to Ms. Vanessa Smith, and the administration at BHS for making this possible. And the BHS students were great!"
Educational segments included an always popular presentation by William Snowden on The Juror Project, an initiative to increase diversity of jury panels and to increase the public's understanding about jury duty. Students went away with a greater understanding of the effects of implicit bias and the significance of jury selection to the overall trial process.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Duane Evans provided an overview of how the rule of law affects society. Brittany Reed from the U.S. Attorney's Office and Warner Thompson from the Federal Public Defenders Office gave an overview of their organizations as well as their day-to-day tasks.
A lively and relevant segment on the First Amendment by Scott Sternberg of Sternberg, Naccari & White and Alysson Mills of Mills & Amond went through significant landmark cases, with a focus on students' free speech rights, and legal limits on them.
Students heard from State Rep. Royce Duplessis on his journey through law school and then to his current position. Students were very eager to ask Rep. Duplessis questions about succeeding as a lawyer and attaining success in general. Of all the feedback given, some that seemed to resonate most was to "never say never" and to "be careful getting advice from other people because a lot of times they are going to project their own doubt onto you."
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan Ginsberg spoke on Internet safety, advising students on the risks of posting online, meeting strangers online, and the long-term consequences of risky internet usage.
Other presentations included the U.S. Marshal Service and an FBI Special Agent. Students were given an overview of both organizations and got to see some of the equipment used.
Campers also received exclusive tours of both federal courthouses, the Eastern District, and the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, where they got a candid question and answer session with Circuit Judge Stephen Higginson. The Supreme Court of Louisiana was also toured, including its impressive collection of original Plessy v. Ferguson documentation, and historical and rare Louisiana legal documents, some over 300 years old. Louisiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Weimer stopped by to talk to the students and shared his inspirational story of his journey to his career in law and some of his favorite anecdotes from his childhood. This tour was followed by lunch at the famous Napoleon House in the French Quarter.
"The Anatomy of a Trial" presentation was led by Sean Brady of Flanagan Partners and Rachel Naquin of Gainsburgh Benjamin. The mock case, Baskin v. Eccentric, involved a personal injury claim filed by Kyle Baskin, a senior at the University of Alabama, mauled by a tiger at a gas station while attending an away game. The mock trial exercise gave an overview of the timeline of a trial, all components of trial prep, and included numerous interactive components for the students to brainstorm. The program culminated in the mock trial.
Every student prepared either an opening, a direct examination, a cross examination, or a closing. Local attorneys led both side's counsel table to assist the students and sometimes even interjected student questioning with objections. With the Honorable Judge van Meerveld presiding, and a number of parents in attendance, students gave their best arguments, asked their best questions, and some even successfully handled tough objections during witness questioning.
After closing arguments, the Judge and her "clerk" Scott Sternberg, the other Justice Camp co-chair, voted on the best presenters, polled the students and parents on how they thought the case should be decided, and the value, if any, of Mr. Baskin's injuries. While the students were excited to put their newly learned skills to the test, the last day really showed how good of friends students from around the region had become over the course of only one week! After the presentation of certificates and the photos of many proud parents, students exchanged numbers with their new friends and headed home. Although not every attendee may end up with a career in law, they all will carry the experience of hearing and learning from inspirational leaders with them as they embark on their life's journey.
Special kudos to Malia Morris, Karisma Carter, Devin Adams, and Jordan Tate for their superb performance and scholarly representation of BHS. Equally big kudos to Mrs. Vanessa Smith, BHS Middle School Educator who served as chaperone for the entire event. Ms. Linda Pittman, Coordinator of Secondary Curriculum and Instruction supplied information regarding the camp. Bogalusa High School is under the leadership of Mrs. Linda Pittman, Superintendent, Dr. Eric Greely, Principal and Assistant Principals Dr. Vanessa Branch and Mrs. NaTasha Oatis.
Justice Camp dates have already been set for 2023: the full week of June 12 to 16. The camp is free and lunch and snacks are provided to all attendees. Special assistance with travel assistance may also be available. More information can be found here: http://nofba.org/resources/justice-camp/
