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Media Advisory:
Judiciary Helps Bring Civics to Baltimore High School Students

(BALTIMORE – Dec. 17, 2013) Maryland judges will go back to school Thursday, Dec. 19, as part of a Civics and Law Academy, an effort to help area students learn about law and society. During the Civics and Law Academy that day, Baltimore City high school students will meet face-to-face with judges and other legal professionals to discuss a variety of topics, including juvenile rights, criminal law, free speech, and the law in the technology age.

The Dec. 19 session of the Civics and Law Academy will be held at Patterson High School, and will include more than 125 students.

“Students are active members of our society and therefore need to have an understanding of law and legal issues,” said Howard County District Judge Pamila J. Brown. Judge Brown heads the Judiciary committee that hosts the program in partnership with the Maryland State Bar Association, the Citizenship and Law-Related Education Program, and the American Bar Association. The Bar Association of Baltimore City is a partner for the Dec. 19 program.

“You have to learn civics if you hope to function in our society,” Judge Brown said. “The Civics and Law Academy provides a chance for young people to take part in an intensive program to start to gain the knowledge, skills, and values needed to participate fully and effectively in our pluralistic, democratic society.”

The Civics and Law Academy is designed to help high school students gain a better understanding of the law, which helps them develop civic competency. Academy sessions are held during the school year at various locations in Maryland.

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