The Lawyers in the Classroom Program—a joint effort of the Washington State Bar Association and Washington Supreme Court—is mobilizing legal professionals to visit K–12 classrooms across Washington on Constitution Day, September 17. Lawyers and judges are ready, enthusiastic, and excellent resources to help schools fulfill their federal mandate to provide educational programming about our nation’s founding document (especially during our 250th anniversary year).
What Does this Mean for Principals and Teachers?
Volunteer lawyers and judges arrive with ready-made, grade-appropriate civics lessons in hand. They’re ready to collaborate and teachers don’t need to prepare anything. The process is designed to be easy, effective, and fun. Legal professionals visiting a classroom can:
- Provide history and context for Constitution Day and inspire students to see themselves as future leaders
- Cover civics topics including principles of U.S. Democracy, separation of powers, and protection of liberty
- Lead discussions on fairness, decision-making, and civic participation
- Run mock trial simulations, debates, and hands-on activities
We’ve put together a one-page fact sheet for schools here.
How Do I Request a Legal Volunteer?
It’s easy! All a principal or teacher has to do to request a legal volunteer for Constitution Day is send a quick email.
What if the Date of September 17 (Constitution Day) Doesn’t Work for Our School?
If Constitution Day proves hard for principals and teachers to schedule around, that’s okay too — visits fit any time during the school year. Every day is a good day to teach about the Constitution!
