The New Rochelle Bar Association’s Lawyer in the Classroom Program has returned to all City School District of New Rochelle fifth-grade classrooms to teach students about the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights. The program consists of four one-hour planned lessons, taught by practicing lawyers volunteering their time, developed with the help of classroom teachers to foster discussion and keep students engaged.
This year’s focus is on the Fourth Amendment, which protects against unreasonable searches and seizures. Students study real case examples and learn how new technology can impact their Fourth Amendment rights.
Students receive a handbook with additional resources that also provides a writing component to the curriculum, along with a pocket edition of the United States Constitution provided by the New Rochelle Bar Association. Students are encouraged to discuss case outcomes and thoughts on what rights are important to them.
The first session launched in classrooms on May 6 and 9, and the remaining three sessions are planned for all schools over the next four weeks. The program has started up again with resounding success after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Community members who are interested in learning more about the program, which has been recognized by the New York State Bar Association and which other school districts are seeking to emulate, can contact the New Rochelle Bar Association at nrbar.org. The New Rochelle Bar is celebrating its centennial this month.