Lawyers for a Week

While some teens idled away their summer in front of a Gameboy or at a local mall, some Ockley Green Middle School students spent a week of their summer arguing cases before a judge at the Multnomah County Courthouse, part of the law school’s Law Summer Camp 2005.

For one week students held mock trials, visited downtown law firms, assumed the role of an attorney or witness, and took a field trip to the Multnomah County Courthouse. Between intensive sessions, students explored nearby Tryon Creek State Park and lunched in the law school cafeteria with professionals and lawyers. The camp codirectors were Marilyn Cover, adjunct instructor; J.B. Kim JD ‘94, director of academic enhancement; and Barbara Rost JD ‘84, program director for the Classroom Law Project. Read more about Barbara Rost.

For many students, it was a rare opportunity to see the inner workings of our legal system while being exposed to the benefits of higher education. The purpose of the camp was not to create a new batch of young attorneys, but rather to show that advanced education is both fun and within grasp.