Constitution Day 2010 is being celebrated today in city and county schools in more than 330 class presentations by volunteer attorneys coordinated by the San Diego ACLU.
In its fourth year, the ACLU's Constitutional Civics Program will reach more than 10,000 students in 40 schools throughout San Diego and Imperial counties. More than 175 volunteer attorneys will present the fundamentals of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights in a coordinated program to highlight the beauty, complexity and wisdom of our foundational documents.
On (or about) September 17, more than 175 volunteer attorneys--including lawyers from the offices of the U.S. Attorney, the District and City Attorneys, the Public Defender, the Federal Defender and a number of prestigious private law firms and law schools--give multi-media, interactive, nonpartisan presentations for more than 50 teachers in ten school districts to middle and high schools. Special guest speakers this year include actor and civics education enthusiast Richard Dreyfuss and former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California, Karen Hewitt.
The presentations feature specially designed study guides on the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and major court cases upholding constitutional principles and civil liberties. Attorneys make use of a student-friendly PowerPoint presentation that helps make complicated concepts visual and thus more understandable.
Constitution Day Council
A distinguished panel comprising judges, law firm partners and community leaders advises and supports the ACLU's Constitution Day activities.
Constitution Day Council:
The Honorable H. Lee Sarokin, Retired, U.S. Court of Appeals, 3rd District, Constitution Day Council Chair
The Honorable James Stiven, Retired, U.S. District Court, Southern District of California, Program Chair
Members
Mark Danis, Morrison & Foerster LLP
Robert Gerber, Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton, LLP
Robert Goldstein, Foley & Lardner LLP
Nancy Stagg, Fish & Richardson PC
Anthony Stiegler, Cooley Godward Kronish LLP
and
Past Presidents of the San Diego County Bar Association:
- Candace Carroll, Sullivan Hill Lewin Rez & Engel
- Todd Stevens, Keeney, Waite & Stevens
List of Participating Legal Organizations
Appellate Defenders, Inc.
California Innocence Project
California Western School of Law
Cooley Godward Kronish
Office of the San Diego District Attorney
DLA Piper
Federal Defenders of San Diego, Inc.
Fisher & Phillips
Foley & Lardner
Jones Day
Latham & Watkins
Law Office of Alex Landon
Law Office of Carlos Acuna
Law Offices of Eric Morton
Law Office of Isaac Blumberg
Law Office of Lilia S. Velasquez
Law Office of Rebecca P. Jones
Law Office of Stephen D. Lemish
Law Office of Steven Schorr
Law Office of Suzie Mindlin
Luce Forward
MacLeod & Catalano
McDougal Love Eckis Boehmer Foley & Lough
Morrison & Foerster
Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch
Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd
San Diego Public Defender
San Diego State University
Seltzer Caplan
Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton
Solomon Ward Seidenwurm & Smith
State Bar of California
Sullivan Hill Lewin Rez & Engel
Thomas Jefferson School of Law
Office of the United States Attorney, Southern District of California
University of San Diego School of Law
and
Qualcomm
Special gratitude to the California State Bar Foundation, which provided thousands of copies free of charge to the students, including Kids and the Law: An A-Z Guide for Parents and When You Become 18: A Survival Guide for Teenagers , both available when you click here.
San Diego Union-Tribune article on Dreyfuss Presentation
http://www.enlacelink.com/news/2010/sep/17/actor-richard-dreyfuss-talks-students-about-consti/
View Photos from Richard Dreyfuss's class at Earl Warren
Richard Dreyfuss at Earl Warren Middle School.pdf
