5th-Graders Go to Law School For Lesson on Constitution

The Ames Courtroom, home of the famous annual Moot Court Competition, next month will host a much younger group of prospective lawyers arguing their cases.

As part of a Constitution education project organized by Visiting Professor of Law Charles J. Ogletree Jr., a noted public defender, a group of 10-to 14-year-olds from Peabody School in Cambridge will argue cases in the hallowed courtroom. The cases, devised by law students, deal with the legality of censorship of student newspapers and suspension of students for alleged criminal acts.

"Now they will be the lawyers, the witnesses, and the jury," Ogletree said. "It's a way for them to understand the Constitution not only in principle but in practice as well. I think that helps them understand it better."

In October, during the first half of theeducation program, 20 law school students visitedseven Boston and Cambridge public schools, wherethey argued mock constitutional law cases aboutthe rights of minors.

"We basically argued both sides of aconstitutional case we made up," said Mara E.Rudman, a first-year law student participating inthe project. "The kids were a lot moreenthusiastic than we had anticipated."

Ogletree said he hoped the project, now in itsfirst year, would become a permanent program atthe Law School and in Cambridge public schools.

"I hope this will be a pilot for similarprojects in other schools," Ogletree said. "Thestudents, principal, and parents are very excitedabout it."

Peabody Principal Ronald Walker could not bereached for comment.

Steven P. McSloy, a third-year law student,said he thought the program was popular with lawstudents because of "the sense of giving back tothe community. It makes you feel good."

And the appeal of working with people ofdifferent ages outside of the Law School communitywas also an incentive, said Rudman. a co-author ofone of the mock cases.

"The option of not dealing with law studentsall day is great," Rudman said. "You can bring upthe same issues you might discuss in a class atthe Law School, and the kids have a way of gettingto the issue that a lot of law students don't.

Ogletree said that the younger students,despite their age, showed a sophisticatedunderstanding of the law in the first half of theproject.

"The reasoning in their judgements purported toreal legal principles," Ogletree said. "Eventhough they did not know the actual constitutionalterms, they recognized important constitutionalvalues."

A public defender in Washington, D.C., Ogletreesaid his experience in past Constitution educationprojects inspired him to begin this program inCambridge.

"I developed this program as a result of mypart in several programs to discuss theConstitution," Ogletree said. "In all of theseprograms, very few young people were inattendance. I concluded that we are remiss in notteaching them about the Constitutionspecifically.