Have you ever wondered how accurate TV dramas like “Law and Order” and “Boston Legal” are in portraying a judge’s work? High school students throughout Utah will have a chance to judge for themselves as part of the second annual “Judge for a Day,” program organized by the Utah State Courts.
The Judge for a Day program is in recognition of Law Day on May 1. The state court is asking high schools to select a student to participate in the program based on an essay, civic involvement resume, or teacher nomination that focuses on the 2007 Law Day theme of “Liberty Under Law: Empowering Youth, Assuring Democracy.”
“The nation’s future is in the hands of our country’s youth,” said Utah Court of Appeals Judge Judith Billings, chair of the Utah State Court’s Judicial Outreach Committee.
“The Law Day theme recognizes the role everyone can play in assuring America’s future by addressing the needs of youth and by focusing on issues affecting today’s youth.”
The Law Day theme highlights the need for all youth to understand their rights and responsibilities under the law to become effective participants in civic life.
Students will be paired with judges from throughout the state for one day in April or May. The student will spend from about 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. with a state judge to learn what it takes to be a judge and to learn more about the judicial branch of government.
Schools should submit the name of the student selected, along with the name of the school, student’s age, and contact information by March 19 to the Utah State Courts’ Public Information Officer Nancy Volmer at nancyv@email.utcourts.gov. More information on the Law Day theme is available at http://www.lawday.org.
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