In This Issue:

2020 Mock Trial Case File - Coming Soon!

Eiler, Founder Award Recipients Announced

Volunteer Spotlight

New at the Supreme Court

Introducing OCLRE's Newest Employee

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Tis the Season

.... for great programming at OCLRE! Take a look at our professional development opportunities to bring citizenship to life in your classroom!.

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Check Us Out

Welcome to the newly-designed Ohio Center for Law-Related Education’s newsletter, replacing the former Reporter. You spoke and we listened!  Your recommendations for smaller bites of information shared more frequently is here!  You may expect five quick-read editions over the year, focused around programming, important dates and volunteering. Take a look at us now! 

Law & Citizenship Conference

Law & Citizenship Preview: Discussing not Debating Controversy in the Classroom

The 2019 Law & Citizenship Conference is fast approaching! Depending on your teaching style, this year’s theme can either strike fear in your heart or ignite enthusiasm. There is often fear that a “discussion” will quickly devolve into dissension, or worse, a fight. There is a better way! By acknowledging controversy and proactively teaching your students how to have a discussion, you can better prepare them for the civil discourse that we, as a society, should aspire.  

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2020 Mock Trial Case File - Coming Soon!

The case will be announced on September 25!  A little background for now -  the 2020 Ohio Mock Trial case celebrates a milestone anniversary of an important decision.

Eiler, Founders’ Award Recipients Announced

On behalf of the Ohio Center for Law-Related Education and its Board of Trustees, it is a pleasure to announce the 2019 recipients of OCLRE’s highest honors.

Lori U. Eiler Award for Mock Trial Coaching Excellence

Noel Alden is legal advisor to Danville High School’s mock trial and moot court teams. Noel was nominated by Danville High School student Calvin Huh. In his nomination of Alden, Calvin stated, “As both a full-time attorney and full-time dairy farmer, Mr. Alden has sacrificed nearly all of his free time coaching us. Mr. Alden has helped us all grow through his blunt honesty. [He] does not sugarcoat things, but he also doesn’t dismiss ideas. He provides direct, constructive criticism…but [lets] us figure out how to fix things. Most importantly, Mr. Alden has tried to instill in us a respect for all people.”

Noel is with the firm Zelkowitz, Barry & Cullers, Ltd.

             Founders’ Award

Mark Dickman teaches AP Government and Politics, College Prep Government, and College Prep Economics at Findlay High School. He has been active as both a teacher and mentor of the We the People program since 2002. Mark is a long-time member of OCLRE and has presented at many of its annual conferences and teacher professional development sessions. Mark also serves as mayor of his hometown of Middle Point, Ohio, where he has gained insight into the day-to-day operations of local government.

New! Outstanding Civic Educator

New this year, the Outstanding Civic award was created to recognize teachers who have gone above and beyond in their drive for authentic civic education and student achievement. Recipient Robin Lashley of Berea-Midpark Middle School, has demonstrated passion for teaching and inspiring the next generation of civic leaders.  

Robin took the initiative three years ago to become involved in the We the People program, a civics curriculum that asks students to become "experts" in the U.S. Constitution. As a result of her hard work, the program has expanded at Berea-Midpark to all of the 8th-grade social studies classrooms.

Robin has also been a strong ally in the creation of new resource materials for teachers across Ohio, through her work as a lesson plan writer in our new C3 Inquiry initiative. 

Volunteer Spotlights

Kara Keating, Assistant Prosecuting Attorney for Franklin County, and Anna Wachtell, counsel for Nationwide, serve as co-chairs on the High School Mock Trial Case Committee. The committee meets every year to draft a brand-new case for the Ohio Mock Trial program. As co-chairs, Kara and Anna help guide committee discussions and oversee the case writing process.

Once the committee selects a case topic, Kara and Anna meet with OCLRE and the subcommittee members to create a detailed case map. To do so, Kara and Anna look for important details to ensure the case is balanced. Once completed, they volunteer their talent for the case capsule video.

Kara and Anna explain why they enjoy volunteering for the mock trial program:

Kara Keating: “I first became involved with OCLRE mock trial as a high school sophomore.  Mock trial helped me discover a passion for the law which led me to where I am today.  I’ve continued to volunteer with OCLRE Mock Trial in the hopes of helping high school students discover their own passion for the law.  I love watching the students try cases at the state tournament each year and hearing that they plan to continue participating in mock trial when they go to college and want to be a lawyer someday. “

Anna Wachtell: “The OCLRE High School mock trial program provides a terrific opportunity for educators and high school students to expand knowledge and skills, by stepping perhaps a little bit outside of the usual classroom comfort zone. As an OCLRE High school mock trial alum, it is very rewarding to now be part of the annual case materials process. After selecting a constitutional issue, developing a story, and drafting the case materials, in the end it is the students’ poise, professionalism, and mastery of the issues on display in courtrooms across the state, that is the invaluable outcome of the competition.”  

New at the Supreme Court

The Supreme Court of Ohio is excited to announce a new educational resource created by the Court’s Civic Education Section. Under Advisement: Ohio Supreme Court Cases On Demand is an engaging new program designed to reach high school students across Ohio and strengthen their understanding of Ohio’s court system.

Over three or four class sessions, teachers will lead students through an in-depth study of an already-decided Ohio Supreme Court case utilizing original materials, including video recordings of oral arguments and written documents on the Court’s online case docket. Case previews and decision summaries written to high school Lexile reading levels are also included in the educator and student resource guides.

The free lesson plans are aligned with Ohio’s Learning Standards for the High School American Government Curriculum (adopted 2018).

Introducing OCLRE's Newest Employee

OCLRE welcomes the newest addition to our team, Kelly Masterson, as program coordinator for We the People and Moot Court. Kelly is a native of southeastern Ohio and has lived and worked in the area for most of her life. Prior to joining OCLRE, she taught English at Ohio University, where she also earned a bachelor’s degree and a doctorate in literature. Outside of her work in education, Kelly enjoys spending time outdoors, hiking and camping around Ohio with her spouse, daughter, and two dogs.

Kelly is especially excited to be the We the People and Moot Court coordinator because of the programs’ ability to encourage curiosity, critical thinking, and civic engagement in students. "The programs not only give students the opportunity to understand and interact with our democracy and legal system; they also foster confidence in students’ ability to convey and utilize that understanding. I am looking forward to working with teachers and students in each of the programs," she concluded.