Discovering Justice April 2024 Newsletter

Middle School ‘Student Attorneys’ Wrestle with First Amendment Rights in Spring Mock Appeal Program

This spring, 29 middle school teams from 12 cities and towns across Massachusetts have joined Discovering Justice’s Mock Appeal Program. Through expanded district partnerships, that unprecedented number of teams includes four each from Brockton and Springfield Public Schools.

Following five orientations in March for new and returning partners, these teams of ‘student attorneys’ began to delve into the complexities of the First Amendment right to freedom of speech and what that looks like in today’s age of social media. Sessions are now in full swing, with volunteer Legal Mentors and students connecting in weekly afternoon sessions across the Commonwealth.

View the list of Mock Appeal teams and partners for spring 2024 here.

Student attorneys from the Hernandez K-8 School in Roxbury and volunteer Legal Mentors from WilmerHale pose for a selfie during their second Mock Appeal session at the school.

Building on precedent, case law, and facts of their case from the Fall Mock Trial Program, students have split into petitioner and respondent teams to prepare cases for their trials at the end of May. In addition, all teams are meeting one-on-one with judges for advice on defending their arguments for their Final Events.

Spring Mock Appeal Final Events will take place between May 22nd and June 6th at courthouses across the Commonwealth. After a semester of learning and hard work, these events allow students to showcase and celebrate their skills as they present their cases to panels of judges in front of family and friends.

View the Spring Mock Appeal Final Event schedule here. Partners and supporters of Discovering Justice are encouraged to attend.

While touring Boston’s John Adams Courthouse, student attorneys from Brookline’s Florida Ruffin Ridley School meet with Justice William J. Meade and Justice Sookyoung Shin of the Massachusetts Appeals Court.

In a serendipitous moment, student attorneys cross paths with visiting Supreme Judicial Court Justices Serge George, Jr. and lawyer and Associate Justice Bessie Dewar.

Introducing Kiley Hartman, New Mock Trial and Mock Appeal Programs Manager

Discovering Justice is excited to announce that Kiley Hartman has been brought on to lead its growing Mock Trial and Mock Appeal Programs.

A former Mock Trial participant herself, Kiley believes that Mock Trial is an excellent tool to foster student confidence and autonomy. Before joining Discovering Justice, she worked as a middle school teacher at Brooke Charter School Mattapan. Kiley is passionate about providing students with the knowledge necessary to navigate an increasingly complex justice system.

Mock Appeal Program Seeks Volunteer Panel Judges

Volunteer as an Appellate Panel Judge and help Discovering Justice’s Spring Mock Appeal Program bring the justice system to life for students. Volunteer Appellate Panel Judges sit on a three-person panel alongside a Federal or State judge and attorney at Final Events to hear students’ oral arguments, ask questions to test their understanding of the law, and provide a ruling.

A legal background is required, but moot court or appellate experience is not required. Judges' robes are provided!

Learn more about this volunteer opportunity, and register to volunteer as a panel judge.

Your support has helped Discovering Justice grow our Mock Trial and Mock Appeal Programs to reach an unprecedented number of students and communities this year. Help keep these impactful programs going strong by making a gift today.

Discovering Justice Annual Gala 2024: "Partners for Justice"

Tickets and Sponsorships Available Now!

Tickets and sponsorships for Discovering Justice's Annual Gala are now available for purchase!

Sponsors and ticket-buyers will help us meet our annual goal of raising $400,000 at the Gala – crucial funds in our work to reach more students across the Commonwealth with our innovative civic education programs.

This year, Discovering Justice’s Annual Gala will take place on Wednesday, June 26th, from 5:30-8:00 PM, at the Artists for Humanity EpiCenter in Boston's Fort Point neighborhood. During the event, Discovering Justice is proud to be honoring the “Partners for Justice” who make our critical work possible.

Learn more about the Gala, and sign up for Gala email updates, including announcements about event awardees, exciting selections from the Gala Auction, spotlights on partners, and more.

Discover Justice Reaches 3,500 Students During Civic Learning Week

Last month, Discovering Justice was honored to host four events as part of Civic Learning Week, March 11-15. Now in its fourth year, this annual civics initiative from the Massachusetts Civic Learning Coalition (MCLC) offers workshops and events exploring civic education, skill-building, and advocacy.

Three events invited K-12 classrooms across the Commonwealth to “Zoom with a Judge" and explore the justice system, and a fourth event engaged Massachusetts students, teachers, legislators, and their staff at the Massachusetts State House to speak on the importance of civic education in schools.

More than 3,500 students and teachers from across the Commonwealth logged into the “Zoom with a Judge” virtual events. The Kindergarten-Grade 2 event was hosted by United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit Chief Judge David Barron and Judge Gustavo Gelpí and saw more than 80 K-2 classrooms log in.

Interactive prompts helped make the justice system accessible to K-2 students.

Meanwhile, 70 classrooms signed into the Grades 3-5 event hosted by Judge Lara Montecalvo and Judge Ojetta Thompson of the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit (below).

Students in grades 3-5 were excited to hear from Judges Montecalvo and Thompson (upper left, beside Discovering Justice CDJ Curriculum Developer Victoria Suri).

In the third “Zoom with a Judge” event, for older students in Grades 6-12, students learned about their Fourth Amendment rights in schools from Chief Magistrate Judge for the U.S. District Court Donald Cabell and Associate Justice of the Massachusetts District Court, Brockton Michelle Fentress. Joining from classrooms across the state, students were able to practice thinking like judges, explaining if they believed different scenarios were violations of students’ Fourth Amendment rights.

Noting that students “were really excited to see the judges," teachers remarked that both they and their students left the events excited to engage in complex and nuanced conversations around justice.

State House Briefing for Legislators Provides Platform for Students and Teacher on Civic Education

At a March 13th briefing organized by Discovering Justice and the MCLC, an audience of 60 Massachusetts legislators and their staff gathered in the Massachusetts State House to hear students and teachers speak on the importance of the state’s continued investment in civic education.

Discovering Justice Executive Director Matt Wilson opens the standing-room-only State House event.

Traveling to the State House from Cambridge, Fitchburg, North Andover, and North Attleboro, students from Grades 4-12 and their teachers presented personal stories of the transformative power of civic education.

Speakers included, from left to right: Cambridge fourth grader Galina B., Representative Andy Vargas (D-Haverhill), and North Attleboro graduating senior Meagan Lee.

After learning about civics in school, North Attleboro High School senior Meagan Lee reports that “I am inspired to speak up about the needs of the community and believe I have the power to have an impact.”

Hard work remains to keep the Legislature engaged in supporting and investing in civic education in Massachusetts classrooms. Speakers urged the Legislature to level-fund and maintain the Civics Project Trust Fund. The Trust Fund is used by state education officials to develop civic education curricula and professional development for teachers and is also granted out to school districts to develop local civic education capacity.

However, those dedicated to the cause are unwavering in their convictions – such as Representative Andy Vargas (D-Haverhill), the first guest to speak at the event, who reminded the room that “Civics education empowers students across the Commonwealth to realize they have agency to make change.”

And, as Cambridge fourth grader Galina B. attested, “Civics has empowered me to see that I can change the world, one project at a time.”

Action Alert: Help Stop Budget Cuts to Civic Education!

The House Ways and Means Committee’s FY25 Budget calls for a 40% cut in civic spending for the coming year. Click here to send a quick note to your State Representative encouraging them to support Amendment 1170, which would stop the cuts and maintain civic education investment at its current levels.

Discovering Justice Welcomes New Staff and Spring Fellows

Emily Dall'Orso - Courthouse Programs Manager

Emily Dall’Orso believes in the power of object- and place-based learning to engage students of all ages in American history, civics, democracy, and the work towards a more equitable society. She has developed and led field trips, tours, and programming across a variety of museums and spaces. Emily is currently completing her MSEd in Learning and Engagement in Museums and Cultural Organizations at Bank Street College of Education.

As Courthouse Programs Manager, Emily oversees Discovering Justice's innovative Field Trip Program, including leading field trips herself, and works with the Moakley Courthouse to implement speaker events for the public.

Hanna Bregman - Spring 2024 Program Fellow

Hanna Bregman believes that all young people deserve equal access to a comprehensive civic education curriculum, in which they have the space to act as engaged community members. Hanna is eager to facilitate student-facing civic programming with Discovering Justice. Guided by a love for language and learning, Hanna tutored K-5 students in English/writing and acted as a Staff Writer and Editor at the Tufts Observer. She graduated from Tufts University in 2023.

As Program Fellow, Hanna works with Mock Appeal Program Manager Kiley Hartman to manage the 29 Mock Appeal teams and their final events in May and June. In addition, she works with Emily to lead field trips and tours.

Kayla Nordman - Spring 2024 Civic Education Advocacy Fellow

Kayla Nordman believes strongly in expanding access to comprehensive civic education to provide the next generation with the resources they need to uphold and expand upon the values of American democracy and create a more equitable future. Before joining Discovering Justice, she worked as a Legislative Intern at the Massachusetts State House and as a Program Manager for the Massachusetts Center for Civic Education. Kayla graduated from Suffolk University in 2023.

As Advocacy Fellow, Kayla works with Executive Director Matt Wilson to coordinate the MCLC's public education and advocacy work to ensure funding for state and district civic education through the Civics Project Trust Fund.

Children Discovering Justice Students Learn to Take Action

Children Discovering Justice (CDJ) is a Massachusetts standards-based K-5 civics curriculum that has been revised and enhanced this year through feedback from Teacher Leaders and Professional Development Cohort participants throughout the state.

Teachers can now access fully updated CDJ resources to elevate student discourse and build deeper social studies and civics connections in their classrooms. Erin Wallace, a Grade 3 teacher in Boston, shared, “The materials are very engaging and give students of all learning styles and abilities an access point.”

CDJ encourages discussion and collaboration among the Commonwealth's youngest learners.

This spring, CDJ classrooms are beginning to develop and implement civic action projects, from installing take-home food bins that reduce waste at school, to letters advocating for changes to the Massachusetts state flag. Using CDJ’s Justice Cycle and Justice Journal, students explore justice issues, enact research, make plans, and take action as a class – learning that they have a voice they can use to advocate for change in their communities.

CDJ inspires students to take action to explore and improve their communities.

Want to stay connected to CDJ? Sign up for the CDJ newsletter or email questions about the curriculum to CDJ Curriculum Developer Victoria Suri at vsuri@discoveringjustice.org.

Upcoming Events at the Moakley Courthouse

May 2nd - Law Day 2024

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, Federal Bar Association, and Discovering Justice present "Law Day: Voices of Democracy," happening Thursday, May 2nd, at the John Joseph Moakley U.S. Courthouse.

Commemorating the 70th Anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, Law Day 2024 provides an opportunity for attendees to understand how the law and the legal process protect our liberty, strive to achieve justice, and contribute to the freedoms that all Americans share.

Program highlights will include a discussion around the historic case of Brown v. Board of Education and its impacts, a mock jury empanelment demonstration for students, and opportunities to watch oral arguments and meet with Circuit Judges. Winners of the Federal Bar Association’s Bill of Rights Essay Contest will also be announced.

View the Law Day 2024 event flyer here. For additional information, please contact civics@ca1.uscourts.gov.

June 20th - Panel Discussion on the School Desegregation and 50th Anniversary of Busing in Boston

On Thursday, June 20th, a riveting panel discussion from 3:00-5:00 PM at the John Joseph Moakley U.S. Courthouse will honor and highlight the 50th anniversary of one of Boston’s most famous court cases. An all-star panel will discuss the origin, legal arguments, and impact of Tallulah Morgan v. James Hennigan (1974), the historic Boston school desegregation case decided by Federal Judge Arthur Garrity.

This event is being organized by Discovering Justice and the Boston Desegregation and Busing Initiative, in collaboration with the Moakley U.S. Courthouse, Massachusetts Bar Association, and Boston Bar Association. Panelists will include:

  • Eric Van Loon and Bob Pressman, Plaintiff’s Attorneys
  • Alan Rose, Law Clerk to Judge Garrity
  • Charles Glenn, MA Department of Education official enforcing the Racial Imbalance Law
  • Ivan Madrigal Espinoza, Director of Lawyer for Civil Rights
  • Martha Minow, former Dean of Harvard Law School
  • Jim Vrabel, Boston historian
  • Terry Seligmann, Clerk to Judge Garrity
  • Tanisha Sullivan (Moderator), President of Boston NAACP

For updates on the event, sign up for Discovering Justice’s newsletter.

Board of Trustees Updates

Discovering Justice is excited to announce two updates to its Board of Trustees: Sarah Frazier (left) of WilmerHale is our new Vice Chair of the Board, and Louis Lobel of Goodwin (right) is our new Board Treasurer.

We're grateful for Sarah and Louis's years of support as members of Discovering Justice's Board, and we're excited to deepen our work with them in their new roles. Thank you, Sarah and Louis!

Supporting the Work of Discovering Justice

Discovering Justice owes our success to the strength of our partnerships. From our dedicated community of staff, volunteers, educators, judges, legal professionals, donors, and beyond, we all work together to help the students of the Commonwealth examine the workings of the justice system, explore the ideals of justice, and engage in our democracy.

Help Discovering Justice build capacity to reach more students across Massachusetts with our innovative civic education programs.

With your recurring monthly donation of $25/month, we will send you a Discovering Justice tote bag, and invite you and up to seven of your friends, family, or colleagues on a private guided tour of the Moakley Federal Courthouse in Boston's Seaport, exploring the building's history, art, architecture, and more.

Thank You for Your Support!