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Pro Bono Tour 2022!
Celebrate Constitution Day September 16th!
Join us in person or virtually on September 16 from 12:00 to 1:30 (MT) for an in-depth discussion on our Constitution and the limits on speech. Teachers, students, and other community members sign up here.
Hilarity for Charity 2022! – September 15th
Idaho Law Foundation E-Newsletter – January 2022
The January 2022 Idaho Law Foundation Newsletter is out now! Read the full E-Newsletter linked below:
End of Year Donations to Idaho Law Foundation
The Idaho Law Foundation provides a safety-net for low-income Idahoans who require civil legal services and cannot afford to pay for them. We help students understand the law and our legal system while building positive relationships with members of our legal community.
You are the Foundation. So, thank you for considering a tax-deductible donation to help us continue our important work. You can donate online by selecting the “Donate” button above or download our Donor Form and return it with a check to the Idaho Law Foundation.
We thank you for your support. If you need any further assistance, please contact our Development Director, Carey Shoufler.
Idaho Students Awarded in Statewide Civics Contest
For Immediate Release
Idaho Students Awarded in Statewide Civics Contest
November 17, 2021 – Attorneys for Civic Education (ACE) is proud to announce that three Idaho students and their schools were selected for prizes in ACE’s first Civics Contest. Student essays explored Constitutional rights and correlating responsibilities.
The three winning entries were:
- Audra Bunn, Wendell Middle School, Wendell. Audra is in eighth grade. Her essay focused on women’s voting rights, freedom of speech, and freedom of religion.
- Adison Buzzell, Idaho Home Learning Academy, Oneida School District. Adison is in eighth grade. Adison’s essay explored freedom of expression, the right to bear arms, and the right to vote.
- Dylan Hughes, North Junior High School, Boise. Dylan is a seventh grader. Dylan’s essay explored several constitutional amendments related to the right to vote.
The ACE Civics Contest is open to Idaho middle school students. In its inaugural year, the contest was financially sponsored by the Government and Public Sector Lawyers Section of the Idaho State Bar, whose financial contribution allowed ACE to award prizes the top three entries along with an honorarium to the school of the first-place student. The Idaho Supreme Court and the University of Idaho College of Law also provided extensive support.
Entries were critiqued by a panel of judges that included: Idaho Supreme Court Justice Gregory Moeller; Donald Burnett, retired Acting President of the University of Idaho, former Dean of the College of Law, and former Idaho Court of Appeals Judge; Pandi Elison-Chang, Ph.D., Social Studies Teacher at Preston High School, Secondary Social Studies/Adjunct Professor Idaho State University; and Melissa Davlin, Producer/Host at Idaho Public Television.
Justice Moeller said of the entries, “It was a delight to read so many inspiring essays and, frankly, reassuring to see that the rising generation has such a deep love for and understanding of the U.S. Constitution.”
Don Burnett noted regarding the essay topics, “The students identified an impressive array of constitutional provisions, including all of the first five amendments as well as the 8th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 19th, and 26th Amendments. Students also showed thoughtful insight into how individual rights come with personal responsibilities.”
ACE would like to thank our judges and sponsors for their support of the Civics Contest. We appreciate their dedication to advancing civic education in our state.
The winning entries are linked below:
- The United States Constitution Protects Numerous Individual Rights by Audra Bunn
- America’s Instruction Manual by Adison Buzzell
- Voting Rights by Dylan Hughes
For more information about the ACE Civics Contest, contact Carey Shoufler, Idaho Law Foundation Law Related Education Director, at cshoufler@isb.idaho.gov.
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Attorneys for Civics Education was founded in 2013 by a group of Idaho attorneys who recognized the critical importance of civic education in Idaho’s schools. Uniting ACE members is a common vision: to increase and sustain opportunities for civic education in Idaho’s schools and ensure the Idaho youth have a solid understanding of the Constitution and the Rule of Law. Through outreach, fundraising, and other civic education activities, ACE is committed to supporting a quality civic education for Idaho’s young people. More information about ACE can be found at: attorneysforciviceducation.org.
Celebrate Pro Bono Week – Oct. 25 in Boise
Idaho School Places Sixth in National High School Mock Trial Championship
The mock trial team from The Ambrose School in Meridian placed sixth in National High School Mock Trial Championship. This is the second time the school has placed in the top 10 at the national tournament. Ambrose also placed sixth in the 2016 competition. The national championship was sponsored by the Indiana Bar Foundation from May 12 to 14. 46 teams from all parts of the United States as well as South Korea participated in the virtual tournament.
Ambrose qualified to represent Idaho at the National High School Mock Trial Championship by winning Idaho’s state competition in March. One of Ambrose’s coaches, Caitlyn Yates said that it was a privilege to coach a team of students this season who are so naturally talented and passionate about Mock Trial. “The students adapted quickly to the virtual format of this year’s competition and competed with competency and poise. They poured hours of work into preparing for both the state and national competitions, all while balancing demanding workloads from their classes. I am so proud of the students and all they accomplished!”
In addition to Caitlyn Yates, the team is coached by David Goodwin. Team members include Ben Perrigo, Corban Reyna, Hailei Browne, Lydia Colby, Audrey Hansell and graduating seniors Abby Davis and Kristen Stanciu. Stanciu, the team captain, said of the experience, “The chance to go to nationals this year with my team was the opportunity of a lifetime. I am so thankful that we were able to compete against some of the most skilled schools in the nation. I am also incredibly grateful to our coaches, parents, and volunteers who dedicated so much of their time to helping us succeed.”
All teams in the championship participated in four rounds of competition in virtual Zoom Courtrooms with the top two teams facing off for the national championship on Saturday afternoon. Idaho faced New Jersey, Florida, Texas, and New Mexico in their rounds of competition.
Ambrose Coach, David Goodwin, wanted to express his gratitude to the Idaho mock trial program. “The Idaho Law Foundation’s Law Related Education Program worked alongside Ambrose every step of the way after the state championship. The support from sitting judges like Hon. Jessica Lorello and others as well as mock trial experts like David Lloyd and Law Related Education Director Carey Shoufler was a labor on their part that paid dividends. The students and coaches learned so much from these professionals.”
Judge Lorello added, “Helping prepare Ambrose for the National Mock Trial Championship was a treat! The students were terrific to work with and very impressive. Congratulations to Ambrose on their outstanding performance!”
For more information about the National High School Mock Trial Championship, visit nationalmocktrial.org. For more information about Idaho’s mock trial program, visit idahomocktrial.org or contact Carey Shoufler.
About the National High School Mock Trial Championship
The National High School Mock Trial Championship is a hands-on civic education activity for high school students. The tournament is hosted annually by different states and includes up to 48 teams, including Guam, South Korea, the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, and State Champion teams from across the country. Working with attorney and teacher coaches, participants prepare a hypothetical legal case and present it in a simulated courtroom competition held in May. In real and virtual courtrooms, before real judges and attorneys, teams try cases they have been preparing since the beginning of April. From opening statements, through direct and cross examination of witnesses, to closing arguments, each team has its own attorneys and witnesses and must be ready to present either side of the case before juries who score their performances.
About the Idaho Law Foundation & Law Related Education
The Idaho Law Foundation is the charitable arm of the Idaho State Bar. As a program of the Foundation, Law Related Education is a statewide civic education program that works to enhance public understanding of the legal system and bring together attorneys and teachers to help students of all ages understand the role of law in a democratic society. For more information, visit idaholawfoundation.org.
2021 Law Day Podcast Contest Awards
The Idaho Law Foundation’s Law Related Education Program is proud to announce that three Idaho students were selected for prizes in the Foundation’s award-winning Annual Law Day Podcast Contest. Student podcasts explored the 2021 Law Day theme celebrating the importance of advancing the rule of law. Podcasts explored how to promote the rule of law to better defend liberty and create a more just society.
The top three student entries include:
- First Place: Sophia Willmorth, One Stone, Boise. Sophia is in tenth grade. Her podcast focused on the relationship between law and morality.
- Second Place: Sarah Cole, Mountain View High School, Meridian. Sarah is a senior. Her podcast explored the application of American civil liberties throughout US history.
- Third Place: Isabel Martin, One Stone, Boise. Isabel is a ninth grader. She created her podcast about inequalities in the American foster care system.
For the 2021 Podcast Contest, the Law Foundation began awarding an honorarium to the school of the winning student. Allison Parker and Jun Campion of One Stone offered their congratulations to Sophia and Izzy for their incredibly hard work on their winning entries. They indicated that the Podcast Contest has been a rich learning opportunity for One Stone students.
The Law Day Podcast Contest is open to Idaho high school students. Entrants submit 5 to 10-minute audio podcasts and can create their podcast individually or in groups. For 2021, the contest was sponsored by the Fourth District Bar Association, whose financial contribution allowed the Foundation to award prizes the top three entries along with an honorarium to the school of the first-place student.
Podcasts were critiqued by a panel of judges that included educators and attorneys. The judges scored the submissions on content, delivery, and production. One of the judges, Hon. Jessica Lorello, said, “I loved judging the podcast contest. The students are so creative in their presentations and thoughtful about the rule of law topic assigned in the prompt. It’s so inspiring to see (and hear!) students involved in civics education!”
The Idaho Law Foundation would like to thank our judges and sponsors for their support of the Podcast Contest. We appreciate their dedication to advancing civic education in our state.
The podcast entries can be accessed from the Law Foundation’s website. For more information about the Law Day Podcast Contest, contact Carey Shoufler, Idaho Law Foundation Law Related Education Director.
Idaho Law Foundation Wraps Up Virtual High School Mock Trial Competition
The Idaho Law Foundation’s Law Related Education Program hosted its annual High School Mock Trial State Championship from Thursday to Saturday, March 18 to 20. For 2021, the three-day tournament was held virtually. This year students explored a criminal mock trial case that centered on a charge of domestic terrorism involving the destruction of a dam in the fictional state of Monida.
All teams in the state competition participated in four rounds of competition in virtual Zoom Courtrooms on Thursday and Friday with the top two teams facing off for the state championship on Saturday morning.
The 2021 state competition involved 150 high school students on 15 teams. 125 teachers, judges, attorneys, and other community leaders donated their time to serve as coaches, advisors, judges, and competition staff.
The following teams placed in the top five for Idaho’s state tournament:
- 2021 State Champion: The Ambrose School, Meridian
- State Runner Up: The Logos School, Moscow
- Third Place: Mountain Home High School
- Fourth Place: The Ambrose School, Meridian
- Fifth Place: Victory Charter School, Nampa
Mock trial team members who played roles as attorneys and witnesses also had the opportunity to be recognized for individual awards. For each trial through four rounds of competition, each judge had the opportunity to select the students they believed gave the best performances for the trial. The top witnesses and attorneys for the 2021 competition include:
Top Witnesses:
- Audrey Hansell (The Ambrose School)
- Jordynn Hunt (Centennial High School)
- Maria Jimenez (Thunder Ridge High School)
- Kalkidan Meyer (The Logos School)
- Reagan Moore (Sage International School)
- Ben Perrigo (The Ambrose School)
- Josiah Rauch (The Logos School)
- Allie Reid (Mountain Home High School)
- Marilla Story (The Logos School)
- Sophia Thompson (Victory Charter School)
- Paige Williams (Centennial High School)
Top Attorneys:
- Zach Atwood (The Logos School)
- Mya Brushey (The Ambrose School)
- Nina Linder (Lewiston High School)
- Nadjeda Luker (Centennial High School)
- Hunter Marang (Victory Charter School)
- Daly Marvel (Sage International School)
- Ty Olney (Thunder Ridge High School)
- Oam Patel (Mountain Home High School)
- Kyleigh Rohrs (Mountain Home High School)
- Samantha Snow (Sage International School)
- Kristen Stanciu (The Ambrose School)
- Ronen Wyrick (The Logos School)
In addition to the mock trial competition, Idaho’s mock trial program hosts a Courtroom Artist Contest as part of the program. Artists observed trials and submitted sketches that depict courtroom scenes. The top three entries for 2021 were:
- First Place: Lily Giordano, Centennial High School
- Second Place: Nicholas Remalce, Lewiston High School
- Third Place: Josephine Wyrick, The Logos School
The Ambrose School will represent Idaho at the National High School Mock Trial Championship in May and Lily Giordano will represent Idaho in the National Courtroom Artist Contest.
Plans will soon begin for the 2022 mock trial season. For more information about how to get involved with the mock trial program, visit idahomocktrial.org or contact Carey Shoufler, Idaho Law Foundation Law-Related Education Director, at cshoufler@isb.idaho.gov.
About the Idaho High School Mock Trial Program
Idaho Mock Trial is a statewide hands-on civic education activity for high school students. Working with attorney and teacher coaches, participants prepare a hypothetical legal case and present it in a simulated courtroom competition. In real and virtual courtrooms, before real judges and attorneys, teams try cases they have been preparing since the fall. From opening statements, through direct and cross-examination of witnesses, to closing arguments, each team has its own attorneys and witnesses and must be ready to present either side of the case before juries who score their performances.
About the Idaho Law Foundation & Law Related Education
The Idaho Law Foundation is the charitable arm of the Idaho State Bar. As a program of the Foundation, Law Related Education is a statewide civic education program that works to enhance public understanding of the legal system and bring together attorneys and teachers to help students of all ages understand the role of law in a democratic society. For more information, visit idaholawfoundation.org.
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