National Competition Agrees to Policy Change, New

Winter 2010
National Competition Agrees to Policy Change, New Jersey
Returns to National High School Mock Trial Championship
After a four-year hiatus, New Jersey’s high school students
will once again compete in the oldest and largest national mock
trial competition.
The return to the National High School Mock Trial
Championship came after the group agreed to adjust its
competition schedule to accommodate the needs of students
with weekend religious obligations, something New Jersey bar
leaders urged for a decade.
The New Jersey State Bar Foundation’s board of trustees
unanimously voted to rejoin the national championship. It will
not hold the alternative tournament it created to accommodate
students with religious obligations. The vote means the next
statewide winner of the Vincent J. Appruzzese High School Mock
Trial Competition will participate in the national tournament
slated to be held in Philadelphia in May.
“The decision to reestablish our relationship with the
National High School Mock Trial Championship is a vindication of
our position to withdraw because of its unwillingness to modify
its rules so that weekend Sabbath observers could participate
fully in the championship rounds,” said Bar Foundation
President Richard Badolato, “Those rules were unfortunate,
unfair and essentially un-American in their disregard of diversity
and inclusion. We are delighted that the tournament organizers
have finally seen fit to establish a fair and inclusive policy that
ultimately benefits all contestants.”
Policy Change continued on page two
Contents
Attention Teachers.................2
Seminars and Events.............4
Video Loan Library.................5
Winter-Spring
Training Dates......................6
Former New Jersey Attorney General Anne Milgram emphasized education as the antidote to a myriad of social problems in
her keynote address at the Foundation’s annual Substance Abuse, Schools and the Law conference in October. Some 85 school
personnel including student assistance counselors, teachers, nurses, social workers and attorneys listened to her message
about the importance of reaching students before they get into trouble. Attorneys David B. Rubin and David G. Evans also spoke
on aspects of law that affect the school environment. Moderator was William John Kane, director of the New Jersey Lawyers
Assistance Program.
two
Policy Change continued from page one
A publication of the
New Jersey State Bar Foundation
One Constitution Square
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
1-800 FREE LAW
www.njsbf.org
Ellen Dweck
Editor
New Jersey
State Bar Foundation
Board of Trustees
Richard J. Badolato, Esq.
President
Stuart M. Lederman, Esq.
First Vice President
Added John Wheeler, chair of the
championship’s board of directors: “I’m
absolutely ecstatic that New Jersey is going
to be involved again. … I hope we can move
forward and put together the best possible
competition for all of the kids.”
Foundation Urges Change
The New Jersey efforts to change the
competition rules to accommodate observant
students began in 1999, when Foundation
officials noticed an uptick in the number
of Orthodox Jewish schools entering the
state’s mock trial competition. Predicting
the possibility of a team being precluded for
participating because of conflicts between
their religious beliefs and the competition
schedule, the Foundation requested that the
national organization change the schedule.
The organization’s board denied that request.
A similar request in 2004 was also denied.
In 2005, Torah Academy of Bergen
County won the state title and wanted to
compete at the national tournament. After
negotiations, intervention from U.S. Rep.
Steve Rothman (D-9th Dist.), and consent
from that year’s tournament host, the North
Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers (NCATL),
the team was eventually allowed to compete
on Thursday.
Policy Change continued on page three
Louis H. Miron, Esq.
Second Vice President
Steven M. Richman, Esq.
Treasurer
Patrick C. Dunican, Jr., Esq.
Secretary
Trustees
Gwendolyn Yvonne Alexis, Esq.
William G. Brigiani, Esq.
Paris P. Eliades, Esq.
Allen A. Etish, Esq.
Susan A. Feeney, Esq.
Norberto A. Garcia, Esq.
Donna duBeth Gardiner, Esq.
Peggy Sheahan Knee. Esq.
Ralph J. Lamparello, Esq.
Kevin P. McCann, Esq.
Jeffrey J. McWeeney, Esq.
Carole B. Moore
Lynn Fontaine Newsome. Esq.
Richard H. Steen, Esq.
In Brief: Attention Teachers
Save the Date: Law-Related Education Conference May 7
Register early and learn to make the law come alive for your students. The New Jersey
State Bar Foundation will present its 19th Annual Law-Related Education Conference on
Friday, May 7, 2010, 8 a.m.–2 p.m. at the New Jersey Law Center off Ryders Lane in
New Brunswick.
The free conference kicks off with a keynote presentation by New Jersey Supreme Court
Justice Barry T. Albin. Afterwards, attend your choice of two thought-provoking workshops on
such vital topics as civil and criminal law, cyber-bullying and tolerance, gangs, the Holocaust
and genocide, and special education law for general education teachers and school staff.
Professional development credits will be given to New Jersey teachers who complete the day.
A free continental breakfast and sandwich luncheon will be served.
The conference fills up fast. To receive an Early Registration Form with all details, contact
Florence B. Nathan, director of special programs, 732-937-7518 or [email protected].
The form will be mailed in February. Please be sure to send a refundable $20 security
deposit along with your completed form. Deposit checks will be returned to conference
attendees.
Robert J. Stickles, Esq.
Margaret Leggett Tarver, Esq.
Mary Ellen Tully, Esq.
Miles S. Winder III, Esq.
Angela C. Scheck
Executive Director
This publication and all
New Jersey State Bar Foundation
programs and publications are
made possible through funding
from the IOLTA Fund of the
Bar of New Jersey.
Some Law Fair, Law Adventure Slots Available
Haven’t registered your elementary school or middle school class yet for the Bar
Foundation’s mock trial programs?
A few afternoon sessions are still open for Law Fair, grades 3–6; and Law Adventure,
grades 7 and 8:
Law Fair—April 19 and 26, 12:30–2 p.m.
Law Adventure—May 24, 25 and 26, 12:30–2 p.m.
Reserve your slot at www.njsbf.org as soon as possible. Please direct questions to
Sheila Boro, director of mock trial programs, at 732-937-7519 or email [email protected]. n
three
Policy Change continued from page two
Later, the national mock trial
group’s board voted to not make any
future schedule accommodations for
participants. As a result, in the fall of
2005, the Foundation’s Board of Trustees
voted unanimously to withdraw from the
competition and the following year the
Foundation and the NCATL jointly created
the American Mock Trial Invitational, which
held competition on weekdays.
The national group faced a similar
issue last year when it initially told the
winning school from Massachusetts,
Maimonides School, a Jewish day school,
that a schedule change would not be
permitted. Parents of team members and
school officials filed a complaint with the
US Department of Justice, and Chief Judge
Doris L. Downs of the Superior Court of
Fulton County threatened to deny use of
court facilities if an exception was not
granted.
Policy Change continued on page four
Torah Academy of Bergen County was jubilant upon winning the state title in the New Jersey State Bar
Foundation’s 2004–2005 Vincent J. Apruzzese High School Mock Trial Competition. After much wrangling, the
National High School Mock Trial Championship reluctantly granted a one-time schedule accommodation to
allow the Sabbath-observant school to compete in the finals. After a similar situation involving a Massachusetts
school occurred in 2009, which led to a lawsuit, the national organization finally agreed to amend its policy
last November.
The Road to Religious Accommodation
1999–2004 As more Orthodox Jewish, Seventh-Day Adventist and Islamic schools enter the New Jersey State Bar Foundation’s
Vincent J. Apruzzese High School Mock Trial Competition, officials realize students would not be able to compete in the national
competition because their religious obligations conflict with the National High School Mock Trial Championship (NHSMTC)
schedule. A request to the NHSMTC to modify its schedule is denied.
March 2005 Torah Academy, Teaneck, an Orthodox Jewish school, wins the New Jersey mock trial title. School and Foundation
officials’ request for a minor schedule change that would enable the students to participate fully is denied.
April 2005 The Foundation, North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers (NCATL) and U.S. Rep. Steve Rothman (D-9th Dist.) wrest a
one-time exception from the NHSMTC. Its policy remains intact.
May 2005 Torah Academy makes history as the first Orthodox Jewish school to participate in the NHSMTC.
October 2005 When the NHSMTC votes to maintain its traditional schedule, the Foundation’s Board of Trustees unanimously
votes to withdraw from the national competition.
May 2006 The Foundation and NCATL jointly establish the American Mock Trial Invitational (AMTI) to be conducted on
weekdays and open to students in the U.S. and abroad.
May 2009 Following a complaint filed on behalf of Massachusetts’ winner, Maimonides School, and threatened with the loss
of Georgia State Bar facilities for its competition, a roiled NHSMTC grants another reluctant exception. Meanwhile, nearly 400
students from 26 teams from California to South Korea take part in the fourth annual AMTI.
November 2009 NHSMTC announces a policy change: It will now accommodate teams who request schedule modifications
for religious reasons. In light of the revised policy, the Foundation’s Board of Trustees votes unanimously to rejoin the
NHSMTC. n
four
Policy Change continued from page three
The school was allowed to compete and last fall the national
group’s board passed a policy change allowing the schedule
changes.
Tolerance Achieved
Rick Nagel of Washington State, a former member of the
National Mock Trial Board who had resigned in protest over the
national board’s previous policy, is “most pleased by both the
NHSMTC’s decision to accommodate religious practices…and that
New Jersey is rejoining the organization.”
But the whole controversy could have been avoided, he
added, if the NHSMTC had simply taken note of the “clear and
convincing” evidence from 2005 that the accommodation “would
not materially affect the competitive integrity of what is, we
should never forget, an activity whose most cherished goals are
educational, not competitive,” Nagel said.
In New Jersey, thousands of high school students around
the state are preparing and competing in early rounds of
the statewide tournament. This spring, regional and final
competitions will be held at the New Jersey Law Center in New
Brunswick to determine what team will go on to represent the
Garden State on the national stage.
Former Bar Foundation trustee and longtime Mock Trial
Committee member Patricia Carney also voiced support for the
turn of events and the part the Foundation played in the historic
turnaround on inclusivity and fairness.
“I am glad we are back in the national [competition]. And I
am proud of New Jersey and North Carolina for standing up for
a principle—one that is very important to teach students,” she
said. n
New Jersey State Bar Foundation
Upcoming Seminars and Events
The Bar Foundation offers numerous free programs
aimed at helping the public better understand the law and
how to make it work for them in everyday life. All seminars
and conferences below will be held at the newly renovated
New Jersey Law Center off Ryders Lane in New Brunswick.
Only registrants will be notified if an event is canceled.
For more information or to register, visit the
Foundation online at www.njsbf.org or call 1-800-FREE
LAW.
•E
state and Federal Income Tax
Tuesday, February 16, 2010, 7-9 p.m.
• Landlord-Tenant
Issues, Tuesday, March 2, 2010
7-9 p.m.
•S
tarting and Succeeding with a New Business
Wednesday, March 3, 2010, 7–9 p.m.
•M
edicare-Medicaid Maze
Thursday, March 11, 2010, 1–3 p.m.
•S
pecial Education Law
Wednesday, March 17, 2010, 7–9 p.m.
•S
enior Citizens’ Law Day Conference
Tuesday, April 13, 2010, 10 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Time
Tentative
•D
ivorce Law, Child Custody and Grandparents’ Rights
Thursday, April 22, 2010, 7–9 p.m.
•W
ills and Estate Planning
Thursday, June 3, 2010, 1–3 p.m.
In Particular
• L aw and Disability Conference
Tuesday, April 27, 2010, 9 a.m.–1 p.m. Time Tentative
Expert panels address legal issues that impact the
disabled. The public is invited. Cosponsored by the
New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education, the
conference is planned and presented by the Community
Health Law Project.
More than 100 attorneys attended the Foundation’s Children’s Special Education
Advocacy Training in November. Participants agreed to take on at least one pro bono
assignment to help student with disabilities and their families. Cosponsors were the
Association for Children of New Jersey, Disability Rights New Jersey, the Education
Law Center, the Essex County Bar Association Committee on the Rights of People with
Disabilities, the New Jersey State Bar Association’s Children’s Rights Committee and
Volunteer Lawyers for Justice. Pictured, left to right: Attorney-presenters Todd Wilson,
Ruth Deale Lowenkron and Jennifer M. Halper.
New: Kinship Care Half-Day Conference
Thursday, April 29, 2010
8:30 a.m.: Registration and continental breakfast
9 a.m.–12 p.m.: Program
Are you a relative providing kinship care for a foster child?
Learn about what the Kinship Statute says about your
legal rights, case law and case tracking. The conference
is cosponsored by the New Jersey State Bar Association’s
Children’s Rights Committee and the New Jersey State Bar
Foundation.
five
Take Advantage of the Free NJSBF Video Loan Library
It’s time to dust off that VCR.
If you haven’t checked out the vast array of lawrelated videos available free from the New Jersey State Bar
Foundation’s video loan library, there’s no time like the present.
Whether you’re planning a lesson, speaking before a community
or senior group or just looking to expand your intellectual
horizons, the combination of picture, movement and sound can
usually get the point across more effectively than just words on
a page. Take a look at just some of the 250 titles, most suitable
for grades 6-adult, offered below.
The U.S. Constitution is the cornerstone of our democracy.
How much do you know about it?
• The Constitution: That Delicate Balance —
Affirmative action, campaign spending, defendants’ rights,
presidential elections and more
• How a Bill Becomes a Law — Students learn the legislative
process at the state and federal levels
• Bill of Rights/Bill of Responsibilities — How the Constitution
is a “living document” as illustrated by witty examples from
current events and popular culture
Citizenship and Government
• The Power Game — A four-tape series on the internal
workings of the federal government including Congress, the
Pentagon and the presidency
• Why Bother Voting? — Celebrity cameos, humor and music
are used to help young voters understand why elections
matter
• One Woman, One Vote — The 70-year struggle for women’s
suffrage
The Courts
• Crime and Punishment — The evolution of crime and criminal
penalties in America
• Understanding the Courts — Two-part examination of a
criminal and a civil case
• Juror Orientation — Brand-new edition guides prospective
jurors through the jury process
African-American Issues
• Awakenings — Civil rights struggles 1945–1956, highlighting
the events that began the modern civil rights movement
• Journey to Freedom — The black struggle for freedom is
dramatized by actors playing Sojourner Truth, Frederick
Douglass, Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King
• Eyes on the Prize — The acclaimed seven-video series
capturing key events from the 1955 Montgomery, Alabama,
bus boycott through the 1970s
Tolerance
• Beyond Hate — Conversations with a gang leader and others
that explore the heart of hate
• Everybody’s Different — Song-filled video geared to grades
K–2 encourages young children to accept each others’
differences in color, shape, size, background and physical
challenges
• What’s Hate All About and The Truth About Hate — Stories of
real teens told MTV style
Violence
• Brother of Mine: Youth Violence and Society — Why children
are becoming more violent and how violence has become a
reflection of culture
• Reading, Writing and Revolvers: Coping with Teenage
Violence — Insights from students, parents and teachers on
how they cope with daily violence
• Teens Talk Violence — Violence in schools, ethnic stereotypes
and slurs and ways to reverse the damaging effect of violence
on today’s youth
For Teachers Only
• Campus Combat Zone — School security, weapons in school
and search and seizure laws within the context of the Fourth
Amendment
• Sounding the Alarm — A proactive approach to fighting school
crime and the contributing roles of dysfunctional families,
alcohol, drugs, violence and gangs
The Video Loan Library is made possible by funding from
the IOLTA Fund of the Bar of New Jersey.
Videotapes may be borrowed for up to two weeks at no
charge. A $50 refundable security deposit check for each tape,
payable to the New Jersey State Bar Foundation, is required,
along with your request in writing. Checks are cashed only if
videotapes are lost or damaged. Videotapes must be returned
via insured U.S. mail, certified mail or UPS so that shipments
may be tracked.
A complete list of videos and full descriptions can be
found at the Foundation’s website, www.njsbf.org, Quick
Link: Videotapes. After making your selection(s), print and
fill out a Video Request Form and send it with your security
deposit check(s) to Video Loan Library, New Jersey State Bar
Foundation, One Constitution Square, New Brunswick, NJ
08901-1520. n
six
2010 Winter-Spring Training Dates
One-Day Conflict Resolution Training
Wednesday, March 3
Peer Mediation Training (grades 3–5)
Thursday, March 4
Character Education Training
Friday, March 5
Middle/High School Level (grades 6–12)
One-Day Conflict Resolution Training
Wednesday, February 24
Peer Mediation Training
Wednesday, March 17
Character Education
Tuesday, April 13
Educator Training (for teachers, guidance counselors,
student assistance counselors, child study team personnel
and paraprofessionals)
Choose from the following Thursdays: February 25, March 25
or April 15.
Administrator Training (for superintendents, principals and
vice principals)
Friday, March 12
All training will be held at the newly renovated New Jersey
Law Center off Ryders Lane in New Brunswick. Space is
limited. For full information and to register for any of the
trainings, call 1-800-FREE LAW to request a registration
form. Please note that although the trainings are free, a
refundable $20 security deposit check for each training
is required. Checks should be made payable to the
New Jersey State Bar Foundation and must accompany
each registration. n
New Jersey State Bar Foundation
One Constitution Square
New Brunswick, NJ 08901-1520
Elementary School Educators
(grades K-5 unless otherwise noted)
An Introduction to Teasing and Bullying All trainings are
held from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Breakfast and lunch are provided.
www.njsbf.org
All trainings are held from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Breakfast
and lunch are provided.
Teasing and Bullying
Winter 2010
Conflict Resolution, Peer Mediation
and Character Education