In celebration of Law Day, federal judges are hosting programs in May and throughout the year to give students real-life experience with civil discourse and solid decision-making skills. “This is a no-cost program that has a high impact on students, not only in teaching life skills they can use every day, but in providing the opportunity to have a positive interaction with judges, lawyers, and the justice system,” said U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce G. Macdonald, who has hosted the program in his Tucson, Arizona, courtroom for many years. The national Civil Discourse and Difficult Decisions program, is a natural tie-in with the American Bar Association’s 2023 Law Day theme, “Cornerstones of Democracy: Civics, Civility, and Collaboration(link is external).” Celebrated on May 1 and throughout the month, Law Day has been a part of American legal culture since President Eisenhower established it in 1958 to celebrate the rule of law in a free society. During these three-hour programs presided over by federal judges, participants practice civil discourse and decision-making skills in lively courtroom simulations coached by attorney volunteers. The activity centers on mock jury deliberations, during which students consider First Amendment and Fourth Amendment cases that are argued by student attorneys. The student jurors use civil discourse skills as they analyze the legal issues.
