Dec 14, 2006

Program schools kids in law

Students to conduct mock trial as part of after-school program

By Mark Abramson / Daily News Staff Writer

Reading, writing, arithmetic and now cross-examining witnesses are all part of the curriculum for 11 Kennedy Middle School students this semester.

The students are learning about the legal system by participating in Citizen Schools, an after-school program designed to boost students' academic performance and teach them leadership and public speaking skills.

The program is specifically geared toward students from low-income families and underperforming schools.

Students who participate in the program, which started 14 years ago in Boston, excel when they reach high school and in many cases continue on to college, according to Citizen Schools staff.

Participants are partnered with professionals in a variety of fields. The 11 students learning about the legal system have been working with attorneys from the law firm WilmerHale in Palo Alto for the past 10 weeks to prepare for a mock trial tonight at the San Mateo County History Museum.

"Over the course of the apprenticeship, the kids have been working with attorneys on their writing skills and oral presentation skills," said Kat White, a teacher with Citizen Schools. "We put an emphasis on leadership and oral presentation through our program, so this is a great opportunity."

During the trial, students playing prosecutor and defense attorney will question witnesses, make opening and closing statements, and attempt to prove their case to a jury. The fictional case they will argue is titled the State of California v. Betty Bordan. It is a hypothetical criminal case in which a schoolgirl stabbed another child.

Eighth-grader Fernando Solorio, 13, was among the students who will participate in the mock trial. He has been working on memorizing his closing argument for the prosecution.

"It was cool and it was fun," Solorio said. "I always wanted to be a lawyer. It was pretty hard doing the case."

WilmerHale Junior Partner Nader Mousavi is one of the attorneys who has been working with the children to prepare for the mock trial. He has been involved with the program for four years and is trying to get someone from the law firm to play the judge. The jury will likely consist of attorneys and other adults.

"I enjoy just the chance to see kids and help kids learn," Mousavi said. "Many of the kids we work with, they've seen lawyers on TV, but they never considered the idea that they can someday be attorneys. We are trying to send a message that they can do whatever they set their minds to."

Teaching children about the law is also intended to show them that disputes can be resolved through words rather than violence and that learning can be fun, he said.

"That is the goal at the end of the day, that they do have a good time and enjoy themselves," Mousavi said. "This is the graduation, the mock trial."

E-mail Mark Abramson at mabramson@dailynewsgroup.com.