Silicon Valley Office Hosts Citizen Schools' Mock Trial for Third Year
PALO ALTO, CA (May 10, 2007) — As it has now done for three years, McDermott Will & Emery lawyers based in the Firm's Silicon Valley office have been serving as trial coaches to sixth and seventh grade students from the McKinley Institute of Technology School in Redwood City as part of the Citizen Schools' Mock Trial Program. The culmination of the program will occur on Tuesday, May 15, 2007, when the Honorable Stephen M. Hall will preside over the mock trial of People v. Johnnie Milton.
In 2005, McDermott Will & Emery hosted the first Citizen Schools mock trial in California. The students spend three months working with McDermott's lawyers developing critical thinking skills, presentation strategies, legal knowledge and meaningful relationships with the attorneys.
McDermott lawyers worked with the students teaching them courtroom skills, including direct and cross examination, and opening and closing statements. Led by Dan Alberti, chair of the Firm's Pro Bono & Community Service Committee in the Silicon Valley office, and associate Brian Baker, attorneys Jane Bu, Sabrina Chang, Debra Dennett, David Alexander and Michele Moreland served as volunteer coaches.
Since 1995 Citizen Schools has built a creative and effective learning model that addresses community needs while building student skills through hands-on experiential learning activities. Citizen Schools operates a national network of apprenticeship programs for youth that connects middle school students with adult volunteers in hands-on learning. At Citizen Schools, students develop the academic and leadership skills they need to do well in school, get into college and become leaders in their careers and in their communities. Citizen Schools currently enrolls 3,000 middle-school students and engages 2,300 volunteers at 30 school campus sites in the United States. For more information visit http://www.citizenschools.org/.
Details of the mock trial are as follows:
Citizen Schools - Mock Trial Program
May 15, 2007 at 6:00 pm
San Mateo County Superior Court
400 County Center, Redwood City
Judge Stephen M. Hall's Courtroom
