Dialogues on Freedom: Judges, Lawyers Needed to Engage High School Students in Discussions about Freedom and Its Responsibilities 

Join the Los Angeles County Bar Association’s 11th Annual Dialogues on Freedom program on October 10, 2012.

Volunteers are needed to lead a one-hour interactive discussion with a high school class. Please contact lalaw4kids@lacba.org.

“A chance to inspire young minds does not come along very often.”  

Join LACBA’s Dialogues on Freedom to help lead a discussion in a local high school on October 10, 2012, focusing on the meaning of freedom and its importance in students’ everyday lives. The program, which began in 2002 in response to the September 11, 2001 events, takes place in October to better accommodate the school calendar.

Produced in cooperation with the Los Angeles Unified School District and the Los Angeles Superior Court, it has become a day of remembrance and tribute, and an opportunity for members of the legal community to impact local high school students in the broader community. 

By focusing on issues related to our legal system and government to which students can relate, volunteer teams of lawyers and judges will conduct dialogues throughout the day on October 10 in high school classes throughout Los Angeles County.

Last year, such teams (a total of 115 volunteers) visited the following schools: Belmont, Chatsworth, Dorsey, Eagle Rock, El Segundo, Humanitas Academy of Arts and Technology at Esteban Torres, Jefferson, Leadership in Entertainment and Media Arts at Lincoln, Marshall, Mendez Learning Center, Monroe, Narbonne, North Hollywood, University, Venice, West Adams Prep, and Wilson as well as several non-LAUSD campuses. Schools participating this year will be posted at www.lacba.org as the program date approaches.

Personal interaction with judges and lawyers can be the spark that ignites a young person’s interest in pursuing a legal career, influencing an earlier new focus in his or her educational goals (the "pipeline" concept) by providing students exposure to legal professionals at schools that exemplify the diversity of Los Angeles.

“It’s wonderful to connect with real students in a classroom setting where
you can learn as much from them as they do from you.”

Volunteer trainings. Judges and lawyers who are interested in volunteering should fill out the online form or e-mail the following information—name, firm/office name, firm/office address, office phone, cell phone, and e-mail address—to lalaw4kids@lacba.org. Please sign up by September 24 so that classroom and partner assignments can be provided at least one week prior to the day of dialogues.

In addition, volunteers who wish to participate in this year's dialogues need to attend one of the four training sessions listed below:

• A shortened training session at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, September 24, at LACBA, 1055 W. 7th Street, 27th Floor, Los Angeles, followed by the third annual kick-off reception for Dialogues on Freedom volunteers and an address by UC Irvine Law School Dean Erwin Chemerinsky. This event will provide one hour of CLE credit. The September 24 CLE program and reception has limited seating, and registrants are required to commit to leading one or more dialogues on October 10. To attend the September 24 session, register here.
• A “brown bag” session at lunchtime on Monday, October 1, at LACBA, 1055 W. 7th Street, 27th Floor, Los Angeles. To attend the October 1 session, register here.
• An hour-long training session on Thursday, October 4, at 5:00 p.m. at Monroe High School, 9229 Haskell Avenue, North Hills. To attend the October 4 session, register here.
• An hour-long training session on Saturday, October 6, at 10:00 a.m. at Roxbury Park Community Center, 471 S. Roxbury Drive, Beverly Hills. To attend the October 6 session, register here.

“Dialogues on Freedom is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate to Los Angeles County high school students that while the law affects them, they affect the law, too.”

Questions about volunteering with Dialogues on Freedom may be directed to lalaw4kids@lacba.org.