“The students did an incredible job wrestling with this complex issue and the path to justice on the case,” said Luke Matys, Discovering Justice Mock Trial Program Manager. “It was inspiring to see all the families, legal mentor volunteers, courthouse staff, school staff, and community leaders participate to support the students and the program.”

“It was a really good experience that I’ll definitely remember,” said Maia Bickford-Loy, a seventh grader from Worcester’s Sullivan Middle School. “It was something that can help me with my confidence in the future.”

Discovering Justice hosted the in-person events at courthouses for teams in the cities and towns of Boston, Brockton, Brookline, Douglas, Framingham, Lowell, Medford, Pittsfield, Providence, South Hadley, Springfield, Waltham, and Worcester.

The deadline for the essay submission is January 31, 2023. You can submit your essay here. Visit here to find out more details about the contest.

A hybrid (in person/virtual) public event to celebrate the essay finalists and ALL students who participated in this contest will be held in February 2023. All school, family, and community members will be welcome.

Panelists discussed the constitutional rights of students in schools as well as explored the issues of over-policing and the school-to-prison pipeline, as it relates to the 4th Amendment.

Many students participating in Discovering Justice’s Mock Trial Program attended the virtual panel and gained valuable information to use as they prepared for their culminating trials through the program.

“This was such an important and timely panel discussion given the cultural climate we face. Information is powerful and students are empowered because they are more informed about their 4th Amendment rights,” said Maureen Hickey, a Brockton middle school teacher and teacher coordinator of the West Middle School Mock Trial Team.

You can watch a recording of the event here.

Judge Young spoke about the unique and powerful role that jurors play as constitutional officers. Professor Umunna talked about the racial bias in the jury trial process that results in the incarceration rates for black males being more than five times that of white males. Chao and Conrad brought their unique perspectives as federal prosecuting and defense attorneys and the impact that jury trials have on the preparation and presentation of their cases.

“I greatly enjoyed the lively and thoughtful discussion that was generated by hearing different perspectives from a federal judge, a prosecutor, a public defender, and a law professor, all of whom are talented and very passionate about what they do,” commented Jerry Howland, a Boston Public School educator who attended the event.

You can watch a recording of the event here. More Courthouse events are being planned by Discovering Justice and the Moakley Courthouse for the Spring of 2023.

“Having a civic space like the Moakley is foundational to a democracy and our tours provide the community members with the opportunity to dive deep into the history and workings of the justice system,” said Kiara Batista, Discovering Justice Courthouse Programs Associate.

Hannah Weiser, an adjunct professor at Babson College who brought in a group of business school students to the Moakley remarked, “The court visit provided an opportunity to engage with the law in a unique manner that is unparalleled to the classroom. The students and faculty found the experience to be extremely valuable.”

With more interest in tours, Discovering Justice is adding more volunteer docents to conduct tours. “We want to expand our capacity to give tours and diversify our pool from college students to retirees and to people of all backgrounds,” said Batista.

With the help of our growing set of docents, the organization looks forward to bringing in more than 1,000 adults and students of all ages to the courthouse this year for tours. To schedule a tour for you or your group, fill out this form or email kbatista@discoveringjustice.org.