The Florida Bar News: Committee Plans to Bring Civics Education to Adults (02-15-2010)
February 15, 2010
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Committee Chair and Bar Board of Governors member Eugene Pettis
What the Justice Teaching program is doing to improve civic education in Florida schools, the Bar’s Judicial Independence Committee would like to accomplish for the state’s adult population.
The committee, which met during the Bar’s recent Midyear Meeting, is hoping to kick off a public education program this spring aimed at informing the state’s residents about the importance of the legal system and the third branch of government.
“The goal of our effort is to stimulate discussion and education,” said committee Chair and Bar Board of Governors member Eugene Pettis, as the committee examined possible course materials for the program.
The concept of the program is simple. Take course material already developed by the Florida Law Related Education Association and modify it, if necessary, for adult audiences such as Rotary or Lions clubs. Make the materials available online, so volunteer lawyers can download a course outline, including Powerpoint presentations, and most, if not all, the materials they will need as handouts. Then match the volunteer attorney with a civic organization eager to learn about the justice system.
Pettis and other committee members emphasized they do not want to take volunteers or resources from the Justice Teaching program. Rather, they want to set up a similar project to reach adults, which will complement Justice Teaching. Pettis noted that surveys show most people have a poor understanding of how American democracy is structured, even to the point of being unable to name the three branches of government.
Annette Boyd Pitts, executive director of the Florida Law Related Education Association, presented course outlines that could be used in the adult classes.
In one exercise, the audience is divided in half and one side is given cards with questions and the other cards with answers. Audience members are then instructed to find the person who has the question or answer to match their card. Questions range from naming a right granted in the First Amendment to what system prevents one branch of government from becoming too powerful.
Pitts said the questions come from the judicial-related section of the citizenship test given to those who want to become U.S. citizens. Sometimes she follows up by giving the audience the full 100-question citizenship exam.
Pettis said the committee hopes to have lesson outlines and materials completed in the next 60 or so days, and then have an event to kick off the education campaign. The committee is looking to local bars, inns of courts, and sections for volunteers, and Bar President Jesse Diner, who stopped by the meeting, suggested that law students could also be enlisted.
Pettis said in many cases, lawyers could make a presentation to a civic organization in which they already belong.
He also reiterated that the committee is looking into CLE credit for participating lawyers.
