Chicago Bar Association Announces Partnership With “Lawyers In The Classroom” Program
Chicago Bar Association Announces Partnership With “Lawyers In The Classroom” Program
The Chicago Bar Association has partnered with a longstanding civic education program that brings lawyers directly into the classrooms of Chicago‐area elementary schools to teach the U.S. Constitution and promote the principles of democracy.
The new partnership between the CBA and the Edward J. Lewis II Lawyers in the Classroom program was recently announced by CBA President Jesse Ruiz, who serves as the Illinois Deputy Governor for Education.
The program, which had previously been administered by Constitutional Rights Foundation Chicago (CRFC), recently transitioned to the Association’s charitable entity, CBA Television Productions Inc.
The Lawyers in the Classroom program places attorney volunteers in second through eighth‐ grade classrooms to teach a curriculum that promotes civic education with an emphasis on teaching students about their rights and responsibilities embodied in the Bill of Rights and the U.S. Constitution.
Teachers and lawyers serve as role models for the students and augment civics lessons, using real‐life experiences to enhance critical thinking skills.
“The Chicago Bar Association has long supported the outstanding work of Constitutional Rights Foundation’s Chicago’s Lawyers in the Classroom program,” said Ruiz. “This partnership is a perfect fit for the mission of our association and our philanthropic objectives. I know that our members will answer the call to volunteer and participate in this outstanding program.”
More than 600 attorneys from 40 Chicago law firms have participated in the program. Teams of lawyers from both large and small firms partner with individual schools and visit the school three times per year to conduct the program. Approximately 60 Chicago area schools are participating in the program this year.
Tiffani Watson, an educator and former dean, who administered the program for CRFC for the last two years, has joined the staff of the CBA and will continue to lead the Lawyers in the Classroom Program.
“We are tremendously excited about this partnership, and I look forward to connecting the members and the resources of the Chicago Bar Association to foster strong partnerships with our teachers and students,” said Watson.
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