LYNN — Students were introduced to the role of law and Superintendent Dr. Catherine C. Latham was honored during Law Day on Tuesday, which has been held annually in the city for about a decade. Fifteen attorneys and three judges visited 17 Lynn schools to speak with kids about the separation of powers.
In 1958, President Dwight D. Eisenhower proclaimed May 1 as Law Day to honor the role of law in the creation of the United States of America. Marked annually in Lynn, and sponsored by the Greater Lynn Bar Association, the day is meant to show students how the courts work and engage them in discussions on the law and what it means in their lives.
Latham was honored for her continued support of Law Day during a brief ceremony at Lynn District Court. But due to a mix-up, Latham missed the award presentation.
“It really is an honor,” Latham said. “I’m thrilled. Law Day has been going on for quite a while and attorneys go into all of the schools and talk about the law. I think it’s a great program for the kids and I’m proud to support it.”
James Carrigan, an attorney and chairman of the Law Day Committee, said Latham has been supportive of Law Day since it began in Lynn. Every year, she allows attorneys and judges to go into the schools to speak to students.
“It’s a great opportunity for teachers and students to exchange ideas about the role of law,” Carrigan said. “This was done with the great cooperation of Judge (Matthew) Nestor, Superintendent (Catherine) Latham and the members of the Greater Lynn Bar Association.”
Nestor said law is a noble profession, which can help people at the lowest point in their lives and can have a profound impact on the community.
Alexavier Gonya, 13, a seventh grader, was part of a group of Breed Middle School students who visited Lynn District Court during Law Day.
Gonya and his peers from Breed were part of the school’s mock trial team, which will compete with teams from Sacred Heart School and Pickering Middle School over the next month, according to Brian Walsh, social studies teacher at Breed.
Gonya said Walsh encouraged him to join mock trial last year — he had fun doing it and decided to stick with it this year.
Walsh said there will be four competitions, with Breed taking on each school twice. Their first competition is on Monday at Lynn District Court, which will feature Breed’s prosecution against Sacred Heart’s defense.
Walsh said since Breed’s visit with some of the judges and lawyers was quick on Tuesday, students were able to practice a mock trial in the courtroom afterwards, with kids taking on the role of attorneys and witnesses.
Walsh said he hopes the students were able to learn from what the judges and lawyers were telling them and from courtroom practice.
Law Day celebrations will continue at Lynn Juvenile Court on Thursday at 9 a.m., which will feature the presentation of the Attorney Lynne M. O’Connell Law Day Award to Angelo Meimeteas, a carpentry teacher at Fecteau-Leary Junior/Senior High School.
