Media Advisory:
  Judges Bring Civics to Carroll County Students in Classroom

(HAMPSTEAD, Md. – November 25, 2015), On Tuesday, December 1, 2015, Maryland judges, attorneys, and other justice officials will help students learn about law and society during the Civics and Law Academy in Carroll County.  During this half-day session, students from Carroll County Career and Technology Center, Manchester Valley High School, and North Carroll High School in Hampstead will meet with judges and other legal professionals to discuss juvenile rights, criminal law, free speech, and law in the technology age.  The media are invited to attend.

Maryland Court of Appeals Chief Judge Mary Ellen Barbera will be the plenary speaker for the event, which is expected to include approximately 100 students from participating schools. 

“Today’s students are tomorrow’s leaders.  It is essential that they have an understanding of our system of justice, our rights, and our laws,” said Chief Judge Barbera.  “The Academy provides a chance for young people to take part in an intensive program that will help them gain the knowledge, skills, and values needed to participate in our civil society.”

“We are looking forward to a lively discussion. We tie in issues that students deal with every day, so they ask great questions and raise interesting ideas,” said Judge Pamila J. Brown, who sits on the District Court bench in Howard County and is president of the Maryland Bar Association.  The Civics and Law Academy’s hosting partners include the Maryland Judiciary, the Maryland State Bar Association, the Citizenship and Law-Related Education Program, and the American Bar Association.  Carroll County Public Schools and the Carroll County Bar Association are partners in the December 1 program.

The Civics and Law Academy is designed to help high school students gain a better understanding of the law, how our government works, and the roles individuals play in a democracy.  Academy sessions are held during the school year at various locations in Maryland.

WHAT:
Civics and Law Academy for students from Carroll County Career and Technology Center, Manchester Valley High School and North Carroll High School in Carroll County
A partnership of the Maryland Judiciary, Maryland State Bar Association, Citizenship and Law-Related Education Program (CLREP), and, for the December session, the Carroll County Bar Association and Carroll County Public Schools

WHO:
Maryland Court of Appeals Chief Judge Mary Ellen Barbera, plenary speaker.
Judge Pamila J. Brown, District Court of Maryland, Howard County.

WHEN:
Tuesday, December 1, 2015, 8:40 a.m.-12:40 p.m.

WHERE:
North Carroll High School
1400 Panther Drive
Hampstead, MD 21074

MEDIA CONTACT:
The media are invited to attend.  Call the Office of Communications and Public Affairs, 410-260-1488, to attend and to discuss the use of cameras and/or electronic devices.

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