Summer Law Camp teaches court case structure and confidence
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The Academic Enhancement Program and the Classroom Law Project, who partner with local public school teachers, put on the 18th Annual Summer Law Camp. The week-long camp, held on the law campus, was comprised of 19 students from King School in NE Portland along with recent graduates and law school staff. Together they worked on a fictitious case created by the Classroom Law Project. This year, the case was about who should be responsible for permanent brain damage sustained by a soccer player from multiple concussions.
The campers learn about the structure of a court case, how to identify issues and important facts, draft questions, argument strategy and public speaking. The camp culminates in a mock trial with students acting as the witnesses and attorneys before a real judge in a real courtroom.
The trial, held at the Multnomah County Courthouse on Friday afternoon, was presided over by Judge Jean K. Maurer, who commended the students for their advocacy skills and organized arguments. Susan Marcus, a consultant who worked closely with the students all week said,“The King students began Law Camp on Monday, and by Friday, they conducted a full mock trial with confidence.”
