VBA "Rule of Law" Project Begins February 18th in Roanoke
Date: 02/18/2009
Contact: G. Michael Pace, Jr. - Managing Partner
Phone: 540.983.9312
"The Law Rules" for Virginia Middle School Students
New program partners volunteer attorneys, judges and teachers to educate students on the rule of law
Middle-school students in Virginia's Roanoke Valley will be the first in the state to get a unique lesson in the law as part of the Virginia Bar Association Foundation Rule of Law Project, a new educational program taught by volunteer citizen lawyers and judges.
The program, which is being piloted on Feb. 18 in 122 classrooms in Roanoke County, Roanoke City, and Salem, is specifically designed to enhance the teaching of the rule of law to seventh and eighth grade civics students in public and private schools throughout Virginia. The VBA Rule of Law Project is consistent with the Virginia Standards of Learning and it is expected to be introduced in other schools throughout the state in the fall, with citizen lawyers in each locality working collaboratively with teachers and administrators in each school district to implement the program.
In 2008, when G. Michael Pace, Jr., Managing Partner for the Roanoke-based law firm Gentry Locke Rakes & Moore, asked his daughter what she was learning in her middle school civics class, she explained clearly the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the three branches of government, the system of checks and balances. What she didn't say was "the rule of law." That struck a chord with Pace, then President of the Virginia Bar Association, leading him to propose an educational program involving lawyers, judges, and teachers to help students better understand the rule of law as the foundation for democracy and freedom in the United States.
"What many students do not fully understand is that the rule of law in America is the basis for the freedoms we all enjoy as citizens," says Pace. "Incorporating these principals into current civics curriculum will provide a unique opportunity to reach students early, and encourage them to be active and engaged citizens throughout their lives."
According to Bob Penn, a teacher with Andrew Lewis Middle School in Salem, having experts willing to volunteer their time to educate students is extremely beneficial. "On its surface, the rule of law may sound like common sense to most students, but there is more to it than that. Being able to hear about real life examples of how the law applies to daily life, from experts who deal directly with the law every day, is a great learning opportunity."
The program utilizes a DVD on the history and meaning behind the rule of law, narrated by 16-year-old Erika Seward and features Gerald Balies, former Governor of Virginia, the Hon. Leroy Rountree Hassell, Sr., Chief Justice, Virginia Supreme Court, Elizabeth B. Lacy, Virginia Supreme Court, and Pace.
A Web site has been developed to support the program that includes lesson plans, materials and resources, which will be updated regularly and will eventually include the capability to allow teachers to exchange curriculum and feedback online.
"Working with the teachers and administrators in Roanoke has been extremely gratifying for everyone involved and we're looking forward to working on this project with more local bar associations in the future," says Guy Tower, Executive Director for the Virginia Bar Association. "The tradition of the Virginia Bar Association has been one of promoting professionalism and community involvement and the Rule of Law project has been a tremendous example of that."
The VBA Rule of Law Project and related educational materials are intended to be generally available online for use by other schools, civic groups, law schools, local bar associations, and others. The project is funded by a $50,000 partnership grant from the Virginia Law Foundation (VLF Grant #:8-15) for 2008-09, and recently received an additional $50,000 grant for 2009-10.
"In a very difficult economic year, for the Virginia Law Foundation to authorize another significant grant, on top of the first, is great feedback which we are very pleased about," says Tower.
For more information, visit www.ruleoflaw-vba.org using the link below.
Related Outside link:For more information, visit www.ruleoflaw-vba.org