By Jerry Vega, Class of 2016
Selected Clemente students got a chance to participate in the Annual Don Hubert Scholars Program at The John Marshall Law School. The point of this experience was to see and learn how the law works and how a real court trial would function. All students who attended this event got a shirt and tie upon arrival, to make them look like professional lawyers for the mock trial.
Students were divided into several groups so that each could compete against each other. Each group had a plaintiff and a defense and each member had a role. Individual roles included presenting the opening statement, direct examination of a witness, cross examination of a witness, and making a closing argument. Afterwards students got a chance to hear from Bryant Cross, a national interactive poet. He had a strong effect on most of the students because his poems are educational and inspirational.
Various high schools from across the city participated in the program and everyone got a chance to meet and interact with new people. This experience was very motivational and introduced the students to the legal profession in a way that surpassed our expectations