The Dominican American Bar Association has partnered with St. Thomas University Law School with the support of Muslim Bar Association, representatives from the State Attorney's Office, Public Defenders Office, Miami-Dade Corrections, and other private law firms to host this event. The middle and high school students experienced a meet and greet with law and law enforcement professionals. Over 100 Students were welcomed from Miami Carol City Senior High School’s law magnet, Law Enforcement Officer Memorial Senior High School’s law magnet, and Central Charter Middle School from Lauderdale Lakes. Students were greeted by private attorneys, as well as, attorneys from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Public Defender’s Office, Legal Services of Greater Miami, Inc., H.O.P.E, Inc., Miami-Dade County Attorney’s Office, the City of Miami Attorney’s Office, Caribbean Bar Association, Gwen S. Cherry Black Women Lawyers Association, Haitian Lawyers Association, the F.B.I., Miami-Dade County Police C.S.I., Miami-Dade County Police Narcotics Department’s K-9 team, and the St. Thomas university undergraduate and law school admissions departments. Each student received a “passport” punch card to ensure they visited each table.
After the legal fair, the students were greeted by the law school’s, Dean T. Lawson, they were introduced to a 1st Amendment fact pattern provided by Annette Boyd Pitts of The Florida Bar’s Law Related Education Committee. The students discussed the exercise in teams led by attorneys, who gave their time as team leaders. Lunch was then provided and then students and teachers participated in a raffle, with a prize of an HP laptop to one of the students and a gift card to one of the teachers. A tour of the law school was then given by St. Thomas University School of Law students. The student are provided with lunch and a raffle is held to provide selected students with netbooks. The attorneys that attend the event are always impressed with the students' eagerness and the caliber of their questions. We are thankful the Attorney Kimberly Curry-Smith as the programming director for the event and grant funding from the Florida Bar Diversity & Inclusion Committee.
Comments