For ten weeks last fall, hundreds of Massachusetts middle school students were brimming with excitement. Through Discovering Justice’s Mock Trial program, student attorneys used a timely First-Amendment case (Jordan King v. Granger School District) to examine the interplay between social media, environmental justice, bullying, and free speech – hot-button topics that are only increasing in relevance and urgency, especially for students.

Discovering Justice’s 2023 Fall Mock Trial Final Event showcases were the largest of its kind in the program’s history. In 13 courthouses across the Commonwealth, 34 teams of over 400 total student attorneys presented their cases. Supporting the event were 180 legal mentors, 34 state and federal judges, 300+ volunteer jurors, and 36 teacher coordinators from 15 communities in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. 

Throughout the program, student attorneys wrestled with the tension between students’ right to free speech and the ability to come to school without being bullied. In Jordan King v. Granger School District, a high-school environmentalist brings a case against her school for violating her right to free speech. School administrators demand that she remove videos that she had posted on the TikTok social media platform to call out student peers for contributing to climate change. 

Discovering Justice Mock Trial and Mock Appeal Programs Manager Lisa Perez Tighe called the final events “inspiring,” describing courtrooms “filled with proud families and community members” who had gathered together to celebrate “the hard work done by the students, teachers, and legal mentors.” 

Added Tighe, “witnessing students learn firsthand about their constitutional rights highlights the critical civic and democratic ideals Discovering Justice endeavors to instill.”

Discovering Justice is excited to welcome Katherine Susich to its staff. Katherine joins the team as Development and Administrative Associate.

Katherine believes strongly in the role of democracy and civic education in mitigating social conflict and building prosperous, inclusive communities. Before joining Discovering Justice in November, she worked as the Program Associate for the Consortium on Gender, Security, and Human Rights at the University of Massachusetts – Boston. Katherine graduated from The Catholic University of America with degrees in History and World Politics, and earned a master’s degree in Conflict Transformation and Social Justice from Queen’s University Belfast in Northern Ireland.

A key administrative support and essential member of Discovering Justice’s Fundraising team, Katherine works with COO Ann Gogol to improve administrative and development systems, to steward donors, foundations, and more, and to coordinate our spring Gala’s online auction.

Through December, Moakley Courthouse staff and visitors can visit an art exhibit that highlights students participating in Discovering Justice civic education programs. 

The art display, a collection of ten photos, highlights students ages six to sixteen engaging in Discovering Justice programs. Middle school students from across the Commonwealth are pictured engaging in our Mock Trial and Mock Appeal Programs and students from Boston Public Schools, who use our Children Discovering Justice curriculum, are captured participating in Field Trips at the Moakley where they explore the question: What is Justice, and how can I use my voice to advocate for it?

The exhibit, located on the second floor at the Moakley, showcases photos by photographer Reba Saldanha and former Discovering Justice Fellow Megan Schneider.

Discovering Justice is proud to announce a new partnership with the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit Court to bring more civic education programs to students in the First Circuit’s jurisdiction, which includes Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Puerto Rico.

One of the cornerstones of the First Circuit’s work is the creation of The Stephen G. Breyer Community Learning Center on Courts and the Constitution. Currently under construction on the 9th Floor in the Moakley Courthouse, the Center will involve teachers and learners throughout the First Circuit to discover firsthand how the judicial system, the courts and the Constitution impact our lives.

Following five in-person and one virtual orientations for 140 volunteer Legal Mentors and Teacher Coordinators, Discovering Justice is excited to be ringing in its 24th year of its Mock Trial Program. With 35 teams, this is the largest set of teams yet, with more than 400 student attorneys being trained from Pittsfield to New Bedford. 

In addition to returning partners that have been with the program for over a decade, we are excited to welcome first-time schools and partners (in bold below).

Thanks go out to our dedicated Mock Trial partners Brockton Public Schools, Committee for Public Counsel Services Worcester, Lowell Public Schools, Jones Day, and Springfield Public Schools who hosted the orientations for Legal Mentors and Teacher Coordinators. More than 150 folks came together with fellow participants in their cities to learn and connect to plan for this semester’s case. Pivoting from the virtual orientations that were introduced at the outset of COVID, these collaborative planning sessions provided teams with the opportunity to brainstorm, troubleshoot, and address the program’s unique needs in each city. In Brockton, District Court Judge Michelle Fentress and in Springfield, U.S District Court Judge Katherine Robertson joined the orientations to speak about their love for the program and the community impact they’ve witnessed over the years.

With the Program well underway, Community Partnership Manager Malia Brooks is making plans for Federal and State judges to visit the teams midway through the program. At this session midway through the Program, students will have the opportunity to learn about the role of a judge and meet with them in a more casual setting prior to their trial date in December.

As part of the Mock Trial final events the weeks of December 11th and 18th, we invite family, caregivers, colleagues, and community members to fill the jury box. If you are interested in volunteering for this fun and engaging 2-hour event, please contact Community Partnerships Manager Malia Brooks at mbrooks@discoveringjustice.org.

Discovering Justice Fall 2023 Mock Trial Teams

Boston

• Blackstone Elementary / Mintz – Lawyers for Civil Rights
• Boston Latin Academy / U.S Attorney’s Office
• Boston Latin School / City of Boston Legal Department
• Brooke Charter School East Boston / Vertex
• Ellis K-6 School / DLA Piper
• Hernández K-8 School / WilmerHale
• Mildred Ave K-8 School / GE – JonesDay
• St. John School / Goodwin – Boston University School of Law

Brookline

• Florida Ruffin Ridley School / Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office
• Runkle School / Attys. Jonathan Simpson, Joshua Dupuy, Patty Correa, & Susan Howards

Cambridge

• Rindge Avenue Upper Campus (RAUC) / Takeda Pharmaceuticals

Medford

• Medford Public Schools / Atty. Kathleen Maloney
• St. Raphael Parish School / Attys. Elise Kopley & Mark Rumley

Waltham

• McDevitt Middle School / Morse, The Law Office of Kevin M. Dwyer, Jr. & Pyle Rome Ehrenberg PC

Framingham

• Cameron Middle School / Middlesex District Attorney’s Office, Dell, & Atty. Joe Shields

Brockton

• North Middle School / Plymouth County Bar Association, Atty. Keith Durden
• East Middle School / Committee for Public Counsel Services – Brockton Children and Family Law Office
• South Middle School / Committee for Public Counsel Services – Brockton
• West Middle School / Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office 

Lowell

• Daley Middle School / Committee for Public Counsel Services – Lowell
• Robinson Middle School / Middlesex District Attorney’s Office 
• Stoklosa Middle School / Freitas & Freitas LLP
• Sullivan Middle School /Attys. Karen Sheehan, Atty. Jomarie Buckley, & Atty. Ryan Sullivan

New Bedford

• Normandin Middle School / UMass Law School

Pittsfield

• Reid Middle School / Atty. Jennifer Carpenter, Atty. Miriam Maduro, & Atty. Ryan Cummins

Providence

• Nathan Bishop Middle School / U.S Attorney’s Office Rhode Island 

Springfield

• • Duggan Academy / MassMutual & Western New England School of Law 
  • Renaissance School / Committee for Public Counsel Services Springfield Youth Advocacy Division 
  • South End Middle School / Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office Western Mass
  • STEM Middle School / Hampden County Lawyers for Justice
• Roger L. Putnam Vocational-Technical Academy

West Springfield

• West Springfield Middle School / Central West Justice Center

South Hadley

• Pioneer Valley Performing Arts / Bulkley Richardson

Worcester

• Forest Grove Middle School / Committee for Public Counsel Services, Worcester
• Sullivan Middle School / Worcester County Bar Association