Students Explore Washington, DC
Students attending the Youth Law Summit enjoyed a memorable trip to the Smithsonian National Zoological Park, immersing themselves in both legal discourse and natural wonders.
US Representative Jamie Raskin and Tommy Award winner LaShay Wallace (center) surrounded by Marshall-Brennan alumni, current Fellows, and scholars from across the nation who gathered to honor and celebrate the 25th anniversary of Marshall Brennan.
Wermiel credits Raskin’s initiative and “irrepressible optimism,” as well as the early support of AUWCL leadership, for setting up the Marshall-Brennan Project for success.
“The need is not restricted to this city,” said Professor of Law, Dean Emeritus, and the Raymond Geraldson Scholar for International and Humanitarian Law Claudio Grossman in 1999. “There is a need for the Supreme Court in the high school throughout the nation. We have a mission to promote the important values of human dignity throughout the nation.”
The Marshall-Brennan Project now has 18 active chapters in law schools nationwide, serving diverse community populations. Dedicated, upper-level law students take a semester-long seminar and teach a weekly class on constitutional law and oral advocacy to high school students. The law students are responsible for all aspects of their classes: planning lessons, giving lectures, leading classroom discussions, and evaluating student progress.
Thompson, who is responsible for leading the Fellows’ seminar, guiding the national chapter administrators, and directly supporting high school scholars, recognizes how rigorous it is to balance law school and teaching.
“I tell my law students that ‘closed mouths don’t get fed’,” she said, emphasizing her hands-on approach to supporting both their studies and self-care. “Marshall-Brennan Fellows not only talk about constitutional issues; they also talk to scholars about planning for the future. They talk to students about how the law impacts everything they
28 THE ADVOCATE SUMMER/FALL 2024
do and give them the tools they need to be successful citizens of America.”
Not every scholar will go on to law school, but they will all learn how to enroll in universities, trade schools, community colleges, and military programs that will build on their experiences and set them up for success.
“I hope that the righteous goal of empowering students to be responsible and engaged citizens can continue and expand so that every student has the chance to appreciate the importance of their role in a democratic society,” said Wermiel, who is consistently impressed by the open- mindedness of the teens who learn to critically examine their rights and how they are upheld in the court of law.
The annual culmination of the Marshall- Brennan Project is a national moot court competition, held at a different law school each year. High school students begin by arguing a mock legal case in regional competitions. Each student is assigned the role of either petitioner or respondent and must present their case in front of a three- judge panel comprised of volunteer law students, law professors, practicing attorneys, and sitting judges. Regional finalists then go on to compete nationally against students from other participating law school programs.
In April, for the 25th anniversary of the Marshall-Brennan Constitutional Literacy Project, the William H. Karchmer Moot Court Competition was held at AUWCL during a four-day conference that also included the second annual Youth Law Summit; an evening reception for national finalists, alumni, and
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