Law Week 2016: Lawyers Visit Adopted School for Law Day

5.5.16

Lawyers from the Lehigh Valley Office visited the fifth graders of Sheridan Elementary School in Allentown, PA on Thursday, May 5 for "Law Day," in conjunction with Law Week 2016. Partner and Chair of the Labor and Employment and Education Law Groups Nancy Conrad and associates Kevin Conrad and Matt Packard provided an overview on Law Day and the Rule of Law, and led the students in a mock trial. 

The presentation began with an introduction to the Rule of Law, the legal principle that laws govern a nation, as opposed to governance by arbitrary decisions of individuals. Students learned about the different types of law and in particular, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, an employment law that prohibits workplace discrimination.

To illustrate Title VII, White and Williams' lawyers introduced a hypothetical gender pay gap case, Jane Doe v. ABC Company, in which the female employee Jane Doe was paid less than her male colleague. Students were selected to play the roles of Jane Doe and her attorney on the plaintiff's side, John Smith of ABC Company and his attorney on the defendant's side, the Judge, clad in robes, and the Court Crier that opened the court session. With the assistance of the student-actors, the different arguments were advanced and the rest of the students served as the jury, ultimately delivering a verdict in favor of Jane Doe.

After the verdict, the fifth graders asked questions about how one becomes a lawyer, the different kinds of lawyers, and how a lawyer prepares a case for court. The Law Day program was an educational and engaging experience for Sheridan students and White and Williams' lawyers alike. 

“Our Fifth Graders had an amazing time learning from White and Williams about how to understand the law and the role of lawyers!  Students were highly interested and engaged and were excited to role play a court case and have their questions answered about how the law works,” said Sheridan Elementary Principal Lisa Lesko. 

White and Williams' adoption of Sheridan Elementary School began in September 2014 and the firm continues to participate in monthly reading days with students as well as collect holiday gifts that are donated to families in need.