Page 9 – Discovering Justice

03 MarNews

In Memoriam Gary Speiss

On November 25, 2022, the Discovering Justice community lost one of our most dedicated and long-term champions; Gary Spiess, founding board member, former board chair, 2006 gala honoree, and twenty-year supporter.

Recruited by Discovering Justice’s first Board Chair, Jack Regan, Gary brought extensive operational and financial expertise to the Board that would help the new group build a strong organizational foundation for success. According to Jack, “Gary had superb judgment and considered what not to do, equally as important as what to do.”

Excellent at tempering expectations by setting realistic, well-defined, and measurable goals, Discovering Justice benefited greatly from Gary’s wisdom in its early years to its current state.

“As a friend and colleague of Gary for so many years, I can say, without any hesitation, that his involvement in organizing, building, and fostering Discovering Justice gave him the greatest joy, happiness, and contentment,” said Terence McGinniss, who served as a Discovering Justice Board member with Gary. “His vision and that of several other founding members of Discovering Justice came together in such an extraordinary way and provided him with such a source of pride. For Gary, Discovering Justice represented the convergence of what truly motivated his life – love of the law, seeing social justice being actively taught and engaged, and bringing together diverse communities for the common good.”

“Gary ran the best meetings I have ever seen in my professional career. He offered all the opportunity to speak and always knew exactly when to close the conversation. He believed that all opinions mattered and was skilled at hearing all perspectives and crystalizing the essence of the conversation and issues at hand,” said former Executive Director, Lissy Medvedow.

“Gary was a brilliant and exemplary leader in so many ways, but the first words that come to mind are ‘gracious’ and ‘kind’. It is those qualities that made him so effective in the many roles he undertook, and why it was such a joy to work with him,” said Lauren Stiller Rikleen, a former colleague of Gary as a Discovering Justice Board Member.

Former board chair Tony Doniger recalled, “Gary loved lawyers and the practice of law. He wanted to share this with students hoping that some would choose to follow a similar path and one day come to love the legal profession just as much as he did.”

24 FebNews

Discovering Justice Delivers Insightful Professional Development for Teachers Across the Commonwealth

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This school year, over 600 elementary school educators in Boston, Braintree, Cambridge, Dennis-Yarmouth, Hopkinton, and Springfield have participated in professional learning to utilize the Children Discovering Justice curriculum and integrate civics into their classroom.

Discovering Justice’s professional development supports elementary teachers in civics pedagogy including cultivating perspective-taking, empathy, and civic engagement in their students. Teachers hear examples of student discourse, explore the resources in the Children Discovering Justice K-3 curriculum, and plan how to use them in their own classrooms.

“Expertly prepared presenter and an interesting topic… The materials are so thoughtfully created, and practical – as a long-time teacher I can tell that teachers were a key part of their creation,” reported Boston Public School teacher Elaine Cusick of Russell Elementary School.

Discovering Justice partners with districts and schools to provide professional development sessions that prepare educators to discuss complex issues with young learners. These trainings inform educators on the tools and resources available in the curriculum and provide best practices for leading civil discourse in the classroom.

Contact Education Program Director, Laura Brenner, at lbrenner@discoveringjustice.orgto bring K-5 civics professional development to your district.

Are you interested in learning more about the Children Discovering Justice curriculum?

02 FebNews

Welcome Discovering Justice’s Spring 2023 Fellows

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Discovering Justice’s sixth class of Fellows welcomes Katie Kuykendall, a current co-op student at Northeastern, Adam Harrington, a 2021 graduate from the University of Maryland, and Corita Miles, a University of Massachusetts Boston graduate.

For the past three years, Discovering Justice’s Fellowship has provided more than 20 young professionals an opportunity to work directly with staff to coordinate civic education work for students across the Commonwealth. Thanks to our donors, we are able to provide Fellows with a stipend to support themselves through the semester. Many Fellows have used their time at Discovering Justice as a launching pad for their nonprofit career or as a stepping stone to law school and other master’s programs.

Katie grew up in Houston and is a third year at Northeastern University. She is currently working on her BA in History and Political Science with a minor in Sociology. On campus, she is involved with various academic organizations, including writing for the Northeastern Historical Review and the Northeastern Political Review.

Katie is the Development and Event Fellow and is working with COO Ann Gogol on Discovering Justice’s Annual Gala on June 22. Katie will also be helping out with the Tours, Field Trips, and Mock Appeal Programs.

Adam has long been interested in service, policy, and education. He graduated in 2021 from the University of Maryland, College Park, with a degree in Government & Politics, with minors in Rhetoric and Philosophy. A Lexington resident, Adam interned for State Representative Jay Kaufman and Congresswoman Katherine Clark. He has also volunteered on numerous political campaigns, taught as a debate educator, and worked as a baker.

Adam is working with Executive Director Matt Wilson and the Massachusetts Civic Learning Coalition as the Advocacy Fellow working to increase the Commonwealth’s investment in civic education for Massachusetts students.

Corita graduated from the University of Massachusetts Boston with a B.S. in Biology and has always had a keen interest in service, diversity inclusion, and equity. As a Boston resident, she is an active member of the NAACP, United Neighbors of Lower Roxbury (UNLR), and Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts.

As the Mock Appeal Fellow, Corita will work with Luke Matys, the organization’s Mock Trial, Mock Appeal, and Topics Program Manager, to run this spring’s Mock Appeal Program for middle schoolers across Massachusetts.

30 JanNews

Moakley Field Trips – Opportunities for Experiential Learning

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Through Discovering Justice Field Trips, students receive hands-on experience in examining the workings of the justice system and exploring the ideals of justice.

The Field Trips, led by our Courthouse Programs Manager, provide a guided tour of the Moakley Courthouse, a meeting with a judge, and an opportunity to watch a court proceeding for Grades 8 and up, or to participate in a courtroom activity for younger grades.

During meetings with judges, students can gather the perspectives of legal experts to learn more about the process of justice in the United States. Students are also encouraged to critique this process during the courtroom activities by thinking about what justice means to them personally and collectively.

“Kids spoke out more on the field trip than we’ve seen them in class,” said Dania Lezama, a Third Grade Inclusion Teacher from the Roger Clap Elementary School in Boston, who brought her third grade students into the Moakley for a field trip.

Students in Grades 8 and above can observe the justice system in action by attending a trial in person. Court observation tends to be a favorite for students who can learn and gather information first hand about the daily workings of the judicial system.

Field trips are available for students in grades 1-12 and are approximately 1.5-2 hours long. Visits are also available for college students. To book, please email fieldtrips@discoveringjustice.org.

15 JanNews

Discovering Justice Spring Fellowships Available

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Discovering Justice Fellows engage in meaningful work from their first day on the job. Whether working directly with the Mock Trial Program Manager to plan eleven courthouse events across Massachusetts, or developing an outreach and advocacy campaign to encourage public officials to invest in civic education, Fellows have a tangible impact on civic education across the Commonwealth.

Applications for the five-month Spring Fellowship Program are being accepted through January 27th. Fellowships run from February through June and full-time Fellows receive a $4,500 stipend. The Fellowship is a great opportunity for a recent college graduate or an undergraduate taking a gap term or is participating in a co-op program.

This Spring, Discovering Justice is hiring for the following Fellowships:

Civic Education Organizing and Advocacy
Courthouse Programs – Field Trips and Tours
Development and Gala Event Planning
Mock Appeal Program

You can read more about the Fellowships here. Applicants can send a resume and cover letter to Malia Brooks at careers@discoveringjustice.org.

30 DecNews

Community Support Overflows for Mock Trial Students at Final Events

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A record number of 29 middle school teams presented their Fourth Amendment cases at Discovering Justice’s Mock Trial events this past week, arguing the complicated line between personal privacy and public safety.

In a six-day stretch, Discovering Justice hosted in-person events in ten Massachusetts cities (and the organization’s first out-of-state team from Providence) before juries of community members as well as presiding federal and state judges. The events welcomed more than 350 students, 130 legal mentors, 29 judges, 32 teacher coordinators, and more than 300 jurors into the eleven different courthouses.

Mock Trial night at the Moakley Courthouse featured eleven mock trials with students from Boston, Brookline, Medford, and Waltham and more than 400 attendees, including many proud family members.

“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 students tackled a case based on the 1985 Supreme Court Case, New Jersey v. T.L.O., which set the precedent for students’ Fourth Amendment Rights around search and seizure issues in public schools. This case, which involved the seizure of a student’s computer and cell phone, highlighted the tension between the right to privacy, a central right protected by the Constitution, and the need for public safety.

“Discovering Justice is dedicated to bringing together lawyers, teachers, students, and judges to do something powerful,” described Matys. “At the events, the student attorneys’ youth took center stage, discussed the complex issue of justice, and used their voices to advocate for it.”

You can read more about the Pittsfield Event in the Berkshire Eagle and about the Worcester event in the Worcester Telegram and Gazette.

If you are a legal professional, school leader, teacher, or parent interested in engaging in Discovering Justice’s Mock Appeal Program this Spring, please contact Malia Brooks at mbrooks@discoveringjustice.org.

In Memoriam Gary Speiss

Discovering Justice Delivers Insightful Professional Development for Teachers Across the Commonwealth

Welcome Discovering Justice’s Spring 2023 Fellows

Moakley Field Trips – Opportunities for Experiential Learning

Discovering Justice Spring Fellowships Available

Community Support Overflows for Mock Trial Students at Final Events

Today's Students, Tomorrow's Leaders

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Kayla Nordman