Feature Article
law day celebration
2015 D.M. Therrell High School Mock Trial
By Nekia S. Hackworth Jones
United States Attorney’s Office
F
or the fourth consecutive year, students from the D.M.
Therrell School of Law, Government, and Public Policy
(LGPP) are working with members of the Atlanta Bar
Association to showcase their legal and acting skills to
commemorate Law Day. On April 21, 2015, during the official
Law Day celebration at the State of Bar of Georgia, these
students will present a mock trial of the criminal case State
of Georgia v. Chris Archer. The case involves the untimely
death of a college student during a fraternity hazing ritual.
On May 18, 2015, the students will present the mock trial at
D.M. Therrell for their LGPP peers. The presiding judge for
this year’s mock trial program is the Honorable Robert C.I.
McBurney of the Fulton County Superior Court.
Members of the Atlanta Bar Association’s Law Day
Committee are honored to coach the students at Therrell
LGPP in the art of trial advocacy. Nekia S. Hackworth,
Assistant United States Attorney and a Therrell LGPP
alumna, is coaching the prosecution team, and Melody Z.
Richardson, Richardson Bloom & Lines LLC and Chair of the
Bar’s Law Day Committee, is coaching the defense team.
The participating students will each have a role in the mock
trial as either a lawyer or witness. The supervising Therrell
LGPP teacher is Sharifah Lee, an attorney whose dedication
to the students is extraordinary.
The Law Day mock trial program at Therrell LGPP, which
is not affiliated with the Georgia High School Mock Trial
Competition, was initiated during Rita Sheffey’s tenure as
president to strengthen the relationship between the Atlanta
Bar and its adopted high school.
CALL FOR ATTORNEY VOLUNTEERS TO TEACH AT
THERRELL HIGH SCHOOL - THURSDAY, MAY 21, 2015
This year, the Atlanta Bar Association will continue its
tradition of teaching classes at D.M. Therrell High School in
celebration of Law Day. This year’s Law Day theme is “The
Magna Carta: Symbol of Freedom under Law.” The teaching
The Official News Publication of the Atlanta Bar Association
date is Thursday, May 21, 2015. Because this is the last
week of the school year, both students and teachers alike
are excited about having guest teachers give their unique
perspective!
As many of you know, the Atlanta Bar Association adopted
Therrell’s School of Law and Government in the late 1980s
and have continued its relationship since that time. Attorney
volunteers continue to serve the school and its community
by teaching mock trial to students who will participate in an
exhibition on Tuesday, April 21, 2015, at the State Bar of
Georgia. Volunteers also coach Therrell’s competitive mock
trial team and host Therrell student interns as part of the
Atlanta Bar’s Summer Law Internship Program.
For Law Day, our plan is to place volunteer attorney teachers
in pairs and to send them to classrooms during one of the
following classroom blocks:
Morning: 9:05 AM to 10:30 AM
Mid-Morning: 10:35 AM to Noon
Afternoon: 2:05 PM to 3:30 PM
The more volunteers, the greater our impact on these
students! To volunteer, please email Nekia Hackworth Jones
at [email protected] or Lisa Liang at
[email protected] and identify your 1st and 2nd
preferences for times to teach.
We will host a training on a date TBD during the week of
May 4, 2015. During that session, we will provide you with
the teaching materials and guidance you need to have a
successful session with the students.
To learn more about Law Day 2015, the Magna Carta, and
teaching materials, please visit the following website here.
Many thanks for your consideration and for supporting the
Atlanta Bar’s adopted high school (and my alma mater)!
April 2015
THE ATLANTA LAWYER
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