Law Center News
SULC Chapter of The Marshall-Brennan Constitutional Literacy Project
A partnership between the National Marshall-Brennan Constitutional Literacy Project and Southern University Law Center (SULC) is a valuable endeavor. A mission of the Law Center is to educate law students from racially and socio-economically diverse backgrounds to practice law. This dynamic requires the Law Center to offer courses and programs that train community conscious students who can bring a different perspective to solving legal problems.
The Marshall-Brennan Constitutional Literacy Project is an opportunity for the Law Center to partner with community high schools to combat civic illiteracy among high school students and teach prospective lawyers the importance of pro bono services. The Project also provides law students with opportunities to mentor and connect with the communities that they will eventually serve. The objectives of the program are:
- Counteract the well-known effects of “civic illiteracy” among East Baton Rouge Parish’s young people by providing high school students with a rigorous and sustained education about the United States Constitution.
- Help high school students improve their forensic, writing and analysis skills.
- Provide high school students with educational and social opportunities that would not otherwise be available to them.
- Provide the Marshall-Brennan teaching fellows an opportunity to fulfill an important requirement of the legal profession: community service.
- Through the law student fellows, provide East Baton Rouge Parish school system with an additional resource in the classroom.
- Help high school students become better citizens in their schools, homes and communities.
- Help improve high school students’ view of education.
An important aspect of the program is its ability to allow high school students to reach or recognize an untapped skill and their potential. Many of the students go on to college, training schools, law school and other professions. It is not uncommon to see former Marshall Brennan students at Southern University and in the halls of the Southern University Law School as students. Many of these law students become Marshall Brennan Fellows and give back to the educational community.
Reagan Scott and Chalaycia Lee of Scotlandville Magnet High School were named regional finalists, securing their place in the prestigious national round of the Marshall-Brennan Moot Court Competition. Their achievement highlights both their dedication to legal studies and the strength of Scotlandville’s magnet program, which prepares students for careers in public service, law, and civic leadership.
The hallmark of the high school student’s training is in appellate advocacy where they compete in a Regional Competition against local high schools and the top four winners move forward to compete in the National Marshall Brennan Moot Court Competition in Washington, D.C.
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