Superheroes Among Us
Tapping into the optimism and enthusiasm of students across the Commonwealth, Discovering Justice’s Civic Superhero contest generated more than 100 entries highlighting how youth are engaging in civic education. Students submitted videos and projects which showed their work sewing and donating masks, art projects honoring frontline workers, videos protesting racial injustice, and letters to senators opposing voter suppression in the pandemic.
Check out our Twitter and Instagram accounts to see a sample of the submissions.
Mr. William Ruzzo, a History teacher at Boston Latin School who engaged his students in the project remarked, "The contest really helped [the History/Civics teachers] cap off the year in a very powerful and meaningful way. The work has already started to have a ripple effect that will lead to positive change for decades to come. Discovering Justice has planted the seeds of change that are sustainable.”
Mini Mock Trials Coming to Local Elementary Schools
Responding to the need for online civic education programs for elementary students in the coming school year, Discovering Justice has created virtual mini-mock trial units for schools to be piloted in Lowell and Boston this fall.
The units will be showcased at the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Civic Literacy Conference Civic Knowledge, Skills, and Dispositions: Building Student Capacity for Civic Engagement which will take place virtually on the evenings of September 23rd and 24th.
Education Program Director Laura Brenner is working with teachers in Lowell and Boston to develop the curriculum. The units incorporate videos with legal experts, such as Associate Justices Gabrielle Wolohojian and Diana Maldonado to enhance students' real world connections to the units of study, as well as give elementary school students exposure to possible career paths.
These interviews, which also include discussions with Linda Walsh (Official Court Reporter at the U.S. Moakley Courthouse), and Jean Shirley (Records and Argument Specialist at the John Adams Courthouse) will deepen students' understanding of the workings of the judicial system and the many roles within it.
In this clip, Associate Justice Wolohojian explains to students what happens when there are disagreements and the importance of having discussions with each other.
Mock Trial Program Moves Online with New Updated Cases
With many students across the Commonwealth learning remotely this fall, Discovering Justice is making sure students have access to this 20-year old program by building an online platform. The revisions to the program will ensure that the unique relationships between our legal partners and our students are preserved and that students learn the skills necessary to engage in civic activity.
Senior Education Associate Luke Matys worked with lawyers from Liberty Mutual and WilmerHale to create two new Mock Trial cases. The new cases bring students’ First Amendment rights to the forefront. The Liberty Mutual team consisting of Xena Robinson, Cameron Panepinto, and Jackie Doherty helped build a fact pattern that explores the intersection of free speech and cyberbullying.
Led by David Rollins-Boyd, Jamie Haddad, and Drew Fosque, the WilmerHale team created a case investigating the tension of a school newspaper’s desire to uncover a groundbreaking scandal, and a school administration’s desire to protect the privacy of their underaged students. Discovering Justice will introduce these cases this Fall for middle school students across the Commonwealth.
Discovering Justice will introduce these cases this Fall for middle school students across the Commonwealth. If your law office or school is interested in participating in the after-school mock trial program, please contact the program’s coordinator, Luke Matys, at lmatys@discoveringjustice.org.
Discovering Justice Goes to Summer Camp
What do you do when you are unable to run your summer leadership camps in person? You call Discovering Justice to develop a program to help your campers learn about the legal system and discuss the ideals of justice with legal experts and community leaders.
This summer, Discovering Justice partnered with Crossroads and Camp Harbor View to deliver Discovering Justice in a Pandemic, a program for 8th, 9th, and 11th grade students to explore the balance between individual rights and collective responsibility. Using COVID-19 as a case study. Discovering Justice engaged 200 student campers in the Boston area over the course of July and August. The program provided students with multiple perspectives from guest speakers such as Discovering Justice Board Member Carmen Ortiz from Anderson & Krieger, Gary Katzmann, a U.S. Court of International Trade Judge, Jenny Fernandez from the Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health, Dr. Cassandra Pierre from the Boston Medical Center, and public health students from Boston University School of Public Health.
Discovering Justice in a Pandemic provided an opportunity for Discovering Justice to partner with other nonprofits and schools over the coming year about how the legal system provides a vehicle for social change. The organization is exploring sessions on Law and Sports, Law and Social Movements (civil rights, women's rights, environmental rights), and America as a protest nation. The program aims to remain topical so students stay informed, educated, and prepared to lead in the face of real issues facing the community.
Keep Up to Date on Discovering Justice’s New Website
Visit Discovering Justice’s new website to find information on how to participate, support, and volunteer with its programs. The site will be updated regularly with Discovering Justice news, and allow visitors to leave comments or questions for each of our stories and updates. Visit the site here.
Discovering Justice’s Online Gala Honoring Joshua Boger
COVID-19 couldn't stop our annual Gala - we just moved it online to October 15
Click here to attend our Fall 2020 Gala to have the chance to listen and talk about justice online! Gather and participate in a virtual classroom with Discovering Justice staff, board, supporters, and judicial leaders across the Commonwealth.
Buy a ticket and receive fun gifts to use during the event.
Be a Discovering Justice Fellow
Discovering Justice’s new Fellowship Program provides opportunities for recent college graduates, graduate students, or college students who are taking a gap year to spend three months working directly with a staff person to help develop and run a Discovering Justice program. The inaugural set of Fellows will work this fall from September to December and learn a variety of skills including how to deliver civic education programming, work for social change, and run and manage a nonprofit organization.
The Fall 2020 Fellowship offerings are:
- Online Courthouse Tour Development Fellowship
- Development, Events, and Fundraising Fellowship
- Topics Program Fellowship
- Mock Trial and Mock Appellate After School Programs Fellowship
- Communications Fellowship
Discovering Justice is looking for candidates who have a passion for civic education and the need to protect and promote our democracy, a commitment to work 40 hours a week with a dynamic and energetic staff, excellent written and oral communications skills, the ability to work with a team and willingness to learn new skills, and an interest in taking this experience back to your campus or to your next job.
The Fellowship will run for ten weeks and Fellows will receive a stipend of $3,500. Applicants should submit a cover letter and resume by August 28th detailing their interests and qualifications to Henry Schunk at careers@discoveringjustice.org.