High school students from Bradley, McMinn, Monroe and Polk counties will participate Nov. 7 in a state Supreme Court program designed to educate young Tennesseans about the judicial branch of government.
The 650 students and their teachers from 9 public and private schools will attend a special Supreme Court session at the Bradley County Courthouse where justices will hear oral arguments in three actual cases. Following oral arguments, students will meet for question and answer sessions with attorneys who presented each side in their cases.
All participating students and teachers also will join the Supreme Court for lunch at Cleveland State Community College. During lunch and a brief program, students will be seated at tables with the five Supreme Court justices, local judges and attorneys, city, county and school officials.
Schools participating in SCALES - an acronym for the Supreme Court Advancing Legal Education for Students – are Cleveland County, Polk County, McMinn Central, McMinn County, Sequoyah, Sweetwater, Bradley Central and Walker Valley high schools and Fairview Academy.
Teachers whose classes are involved in the project attended a three-hour professional development session Oct. 1 at Cleveland High School to prepare for the SCALES Program. Tennessee Court of Appeals Judge Patricia J. Cottrell of Nashville discussed the state and federal court systems, answered questions and presented an overview of the cases to be argued when students attend SCALES. Teachers also were provided with notebooks of materials to use in their classrooms, including suggested activities, and SCALES Project handbooks for each student. Circuit Court Judge Larry H. Puckett is coordinating the project in the 10th Judicial District.
"The Tennessee Supreme Court believes that knowledge and understanding of the judicial branch of government are essential to good citizenship,” Chief Justice Frank Drowota said. “The SCALES Project is designed to educate young participants about the system they will inherit. The interaction we have with the students at lunch and throughout the day also renews our faith that our nation’s future is in good hands.”
Local judges and attorneys met with participating teachers at the professional development session to schedule classroom visits to review the cases and issues to be considered by the Supreme Court. After justices rule in the cases, copies of the court's opinions will be provided to the classes and posted on the court system website at www.tsc.state.tn.us.
"The SCALES Project is important because it creates a partnership between the judiciary, the Bar and schools to promote a better understanding of the judicial branch of government," the chief justice said. "We hope that teachers will use the materials to make judicial education a continuing part of their curriculum."
Cases students will hear deal with termination of parental rights, whether the state’s kidnaping statute should apply to a victim’s father and a lawsuit involving the negligent acts of more than one wrongdoer.
Including SCALES in the 10th Judicial District, more than 10,000 Tennessee students across the state have taken part in the project since the Supreme Court initiated it in 1995. Including SCALES in the 10th Judicial District, more than 10,000 Tennessee students across the state have taken part in the project since the Supreme Court initiated it in 1995.