Attorney volunteers still needed for Constitution Day

The Public Service Committee of the WCBA is sponsoring Constitution Day 2011 on Monday, Sept. 19. Volunteer attorneys are still needed. Programs include: Eighth Grade Curriculum 14th Amendment Lawyer Leader: Margaret Krasnoff 734-995-8310 mjkrasnoff@sbcglobal.net This new curriculum was written by Margaret Krasnoff along with Constitutional Law Professor Dan Ray from Cooley Law School. Eighth graders will learn how the individual right to equal treatment is balanced against the president's constitutional duty to protect the security of the country. The materials are based on the case of Fred Korematsu, who refused to relocate to an internment camp under President Roosevelt's Executive Order to relocate 120,000 Japanese Americans to military camps during WWII. Training session choices: Sept. 12 at 4 p.m. or Sept. 13 at 5 p.m. Seventh Grade Curriculum 1st Amendment Lawyer Leader: Lori A. Buiteweg 734-994-3000 buiteweg@nsssb.com This new curriculum was live-tested on Mr. Gaynor's 7th grade social studies class in June 2011 by Andy Muth. It was a huge success. Seventh graders will learn the "first five freedoms" - religion, speech, press, assembly and petition. After a brief instructional session stemming from the first symbolic speech case in 1929 involving a 19 year-old camp counselor who was sentenced to 1-10 years in prison for raising a red flag, students will form their own Supreme Court to decide whether examples of speech are protected or not protected. Training session choices: Aug. 30th from 12 p.m. -1 p.m. or Sept. 6 from 5 p.m. -6 p.m. Sixth Grade Curriculum 6th Amendment Lawyer Leader: Stephanie Benedict 734-678-6467 stephanie.benedict@live.com This is a repeat of the sixth grade curriculum that is a proven winner. Kids learn about the right to a fair trial and do an exercise that teaches them the potential pitfalls of selecting a jury by lot, as in Roman times, versus a jury with preemptory challenges and challenges for cause. The entertaining exercise includes a few folks known to Harry Potter fans. Training session choices: Sept. 13 from 12 p.m. -1 p.m. or Sept. 14 from 6 p.m. -7 p.m.. Published: Mon, Aug 22, 2011