Local Students Try on Legal Roles at 25th Youth Law Fair
March 19, 2024
On March 16 more than 100 high school students learned more about the judicial system up close at D.C. Superior Court by serving as judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, stenographers, and jurors in mock trials, a signature component of the Melvin R. Wright Youth Law Fair.
Now in its 25th year, the Youth Law Fair is a collaboration between the D.C. Bar Communities and D.C. Superior Court to introduce local youth to careers in the law through hands-on experiences at the court and to provide them a positive exposure to the justice system.
After more than two decades, the program has grown in size, and at Saturday’s event six courtrooms were filled with students actively participating in mock trials guided by Superior Court judges, members of the Bar, and other volunteers.
Among those coaching the students was Senior Judge Melvin R. Wright, a pioneer of the Youth Law Fair. “I always felt like the court needed to make a connection with the community,” Wright said. “This is exactly what we envisioned. The idea was to get young people involved in the court system in a way where they are not arrested, they or their parents are not being sued, and they or their parents are not being evicted … it’s about exposure.”
The Youth Law Fair kicked off with Associate Judge Ebony M. Scott leading participants on a courtroom tour while explaining the differences between criminal and civil proceedings, providing an overview of the key players in a courtroom, and demonstrating courtroom technology.
While the tour was underway, Magistrate Judge Raquel Trabal prepared volunteer attorneys and law students to assist participants in the mock trials. “The goal is to have fun — make the process enjoyable for the students,” said Judge Trabal.
The mock trials are designed to reflect current issues in the District, and this year’s fact pattern focused on carjacking. According to the Metropolitan Police Department, roughly 63 percent of the 170 arrests made in 2023 for carjackings involved juveniles.
In preparation for the mock trials, students and volunteers watched an artificial intelligence (AI) adaptation of the fact pattern and witness statements. “A lot of it is law and very serious, but a lot of it is performing — enjoy yourself and have a good time,” said Magistrate Judge Noel T. Johnson. After the presentation, volunteers were paired with students for coaching in their respective roles in the mock trials.
One of the courtrooms was filled with 24 male middle school and high school students associated with the Washington (DC) Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., which supports local youth to “speak up and speak out” by participating in events such as the Youth Law Fair, debate teams, and Black History Month competitions.
In an adjacent courtroom, Allora Olfus, a student at Frederick Douglass High School, ruled on evidentiary objections and motions presented, with coaching by Magistrate Judge Philip A. Medley. While Olfus has experience through her school’s mock trial team, this was her first time serving as a judge. Olfus said her experience was “nerve-wracking, but it was cool to see the different aspects of the courtroom, from the lawyers to the witnesses and even the jury.”
Former Youth Law Fair participants Thomas Weaver, a third-year law student at Howard University, and Wesley Jaxon Walker, a junior at Ohio State University, manned a table with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), helping recruit and encourage students to become DOJ interns.
Not so long ago, Weaver and Walker had met a DOJ representative at the Youth Law Fair and eventually had the opportunity to complete internships with the agency. “I was not the most enthusiastic [Youth Law Fair participant], but that was because I did not know I was going to have fun, and I did enjoy the mock trial; I am just someone who needed a little more coaching to get out of the house,” said Walker.
Learn more about the creation and impact of the Melvin R. Wright Youth Law Fair in the latest issue of Washington Lawyer.
Tynekia Garrett, a student at Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law, is a D.C. Bar writer in residence for 2023–2024.
