High school students learn courtroom, trial strategies in advocacy workshop
Heather Nolan | NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune • February 1, 2019

A program a New Orleans judge launched last fall is helping high school students get ready for a future career in criminal justice.


Criminal District Judge Arthur L. Hunter Jr. launched the Allen Ray Bolin Trial Advocacy Workshop last fall, which he said is designed for high schoolers who might want to be a lawyer and maybe eventually a judge.


It's loosely based on the Trial Advocacy Workshop at Harvard Law School, where Hunter teaches every year.


"I believe if we start early with kids and give them positive opportunities, it can lead to a productive life," he said. "Hopefully one day if I'm still on the bench, one of those kids can come before me and remind me who they are and where they started."


St. Augustine, St. Mary's Academy, St. Katharine Drexel Preparatory School and George Washington Carver participated in the program this year.


The five-week workshop ended with a trial competition in December. Defense attorneys, prosecutors, judges and New Orleans police officers participated in the competition in various capacities to give the students an idea of how a criminal case really plays out in a courtroom.

The students litigated a mock attempted murder case that stemmed from a fight over a social media post.


Students had to present opening statements, question and cross examine witnesses and give closing arguments. Awards were given to individual students who excelled in each of those categories. The jurors had to reach a unanimous decision.


"What my students have actually learned in this program has far exceeded my hopes for them when we started," said Dwan Jacque, the program moderator at St. Augustine High School. "My students have honestly gone from boys to young men. They learned the responsibilities that everyone in our judicial system has, and they saw their role in it."


Jacque said the six juniors from St. Aug who participated worked long hours before and after school.


"To say I am proud of my boys is an understatement," she said.


St. Augustine finished in first place in the mock trial competition, St. Mary's came in second and St. Kathernie Drexel placed third. Hunter said the day was fun and competitive among both the students and the lawyers who advised those schools. They were "trash talking" the next day, he said, and talking about a rematch. Hunter said the program will continue next fall.


"Judge Hunter has started a program that will impact a generation for years to come," Jacque said. "For high school students to be paired with seasoned attorneys and have the opportunity to learn from them and work with them is nothing short of remarkable. The tools and knowledge they gained from this program will aid them on the road to a great future and much success."


The Allen Ray Bolin Trial Advocacy Workshop is named for Macon B. Allen, the first African-American attorney and judge, Charlotte Ray, the first female African-American woman attorney and Jane Bolin, the first female African-American judge.

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