Tomorrow’s Litigators Hone Skills at Youth Law Fair
March 22, 2022
On March 19 District judges, attorneys, and students gathered virtually for the 23rd annual Melvin R. Wright Youth Law Fair, an opportunity for young people to enhance their knowledge of the courts, the legal process, and the profession.
Sponsored by the Superior Court of the District of Columbia and the D.C. Bar Communities, the event featured an attorney Q&A session, a mock trial, and a presentation introducing this year’s theme — helping students understand their rights. Nykisha Cleveland, public affairs specialist for the D.C. Office of Police Complaints, and Clare Kruger, staff attorney with the Juvenile Services Program of the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia, explained an individual’s rights when stopped, questioned, or searched by the police.
In her welcome address, D.C. Superior Court Chief Judge Anita Josey-Herring commented on how programs like the Youth Law Fair not only provide students an opportunity to learn more about legal careers but also benefit the legal system by opening new lines of communication with the community. “We are all better off because you, as young people, push us to better understand what you want our system to look like and how it can become better,” she said.
D.C. Bar President Chad Sarchio also greeted the students, noting that the Bar takes an interest in student education about the legal system for two primary reasons. “First, lawyers undertake rigorous continuous education . . . Fairs like this offer what we trust is a challenging, enjoyable way to share a little of what we’ve learned with young folks. Second, the notion of change is at the heart of lawyering . . . We believe that what you will see, hear, and do throughout the fair will help inform your thinking about the law and the police, and perhaps alter the course of future interactions you have with them,” Sarchio said.
Following the introductory remarks, students engaged in a Q&A session with three attorneys about their decision to pursue a career in the law as well as the opportunities and challenges that come with it. Students were particularly interested to know when the panelists knew they wanted to become a lawyer and what keeps them interested in the practice of law.
Aisha Flucker, assistant deputy attorney general in the Family Services Division of the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia (OAG), said she always knew that she wanted to be an attorney, attending law school shortly after completing her undergraduate degree. Brandon J. Wallace, chief strategist at APEX Group, also had legal aspirations but felt he wasn’t ready for law school immediately after graduating from college. He worked for five years before returning to school. William S. Mond, a Freedom of Information Act analyst for the U.S. Department of Energy, didn’t pursue higher education immediately. He got a GED and completed an undergraduate degree, enrolling in law school when he noticed the low salaries fellow undergrads were offered post-degree.
All agreed that law school was a significant commitment and urged students to plan according to their own sense of their preparedness for its challenges. “I think that each of us has to follow our own path and journey,” Wallace said.
Students were also interested in how attorneys manage work–life balance, which the panelists acknowledged as particularly challenging. “It’s something that you have to actively work on because the workload is heavy,” Mond said.
During the mock trial, Philip Medley, an assistant attorney general at OAG, couldn’t contain a smile as the student prosecutor he counseled as a volunteer attorney examined his witness. The teen appeared on Zoom by way of cellphone, furiously pacing his apartment as he developed a particular line of questioning. In contrast, his soft-spoken opposition deployed an entirely different style of litigation.
D.C. Superior Court Judge Craig Iscoe, overcome by delight at the student attorneys’ performances, forgot to give a ruling on the case, devoting the remainder of the session to his glowing assessment of their skills. “You both showed a lot of talent for making arguments and questioning witnesses,” he said. After asking about the students’ age and school, he invited both to visit his courtroom and encouraged them to continue to pursue oral advocacy. “There are plenty of people who are in college who couldn’t do any better than this,” Iscoe said.
The mock trials were not without educational moments. When the prosecution attempted a bold maneuver, calling the defendant for direct examination, Iscoe gently explained, “You can’t call the defendant in a criminal case, but the defendant can testify if called by the defense. That’s what’s called the right against self-incrimination. You can’t force somebody to testify, but if they decide to testify, then you can examine them on the testimony.” The prosecution thanked the judge and quickly moved on.
