EVERY YEAR AT the beginning of May, hundreds of New Hampshire lawyers and judges observe Law Week by visiting classrooms around the state to discuss the law, lawyers, our legal system, and citizens’ rights and responsibilities in our government.

For the past 40 years, the American Bar Association has recognized May 1 as Law Day, and in New Hampshire the first week of May is celebrated as Law Week. This year, the majority of school visits are scheduled for Friday, May 3. (See sign-up forms below.)

Some attorneys make their own arrangements to visit local schools, but the Bar also needs volunteers who will be matched with schools that have requested a visit from a Bar member. To document the scope of the program, and to assist in publicizing it in the general news media, Bar members who make their own arrangements are encouraged to notify the Bar of their plans using the form below.

Attorney Sign Up Form

School Sign Up Form

The Bar’s Web site offers lesson plans that lawyers can use to teach students in different grade levels, from elementary through high school. The page also has links to the ABA Law Day Web site, which offers talking points, sample speeches and activities, and other resources.

Once you have signed up, Melissa Childs, the Bar’s Law-Related Education coordinator, will provide you with a referral to a school at a location convenient to you that has requested a Law Week visit. Childs can then assist you with arranging for printed materials to distribute to students and with access to other resources.

Also in conjunction with Law Week, the Supreme Court will be conducting a special May 1 oral argument session at the Dana Center, at St. Anselm College, with students from 10 area high schools invited. Two cases will be heard, with the court following standard argument procedure. In advance of the session, volunteer attorneys will visit the schools to orient students on what they will see during oral argument and to discuss the cases on the docket. The court session itself with also feature Q&A sessions with the attorneys arguing the cases. Once the justices have concluded their post-argument conference, they will also meet with the audience to answer questions of a general nature about the role of appellate judges.

Another aspect of public service – Pro Bono services to low-income families – will be highlighted during Law Week. On Thursday, May 2, past winners of Pro Bono service awards will be staffing the phones at the Bar Center to help refer cases to volunteer attorneys. The need is great, and the opportunities for service are becoming increasingly diverse.

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