NICHOLASVILLE, KY. (LEX 18) — They haven’t attended law school yet and are many years from having to take the Kentucky Bar exam, but they sure sounded like trial attorneys inside the East and West Jessamine County high schools’ Career and Tech Center.
“We'd like to call attention to stipulation 9, which places limitations on expert witnesses to only conclusions made in their affidavit,” said one of the student-lawyers while presenting pre-trial motions for the prosecution.
The Pathway law classes are in their 13th year for the Jessamine County students. It’s a class that’s already helped produce at least one practicing attorney. Another former student will be heading to law school in the fall.
“I feel that this class prepared me, and my confidence and confirmation for knowing what I want to do,” said Je’Dynn Fogel, the graduate of this program who is currently deciding between acceptances from four different law school programs.
Will Hall, a practicing attorney himself, has been teaching the class since its inception.
“Having been to college and law school, I know there isn't a pre-law major that has substantive lessons in what an appeal is, how the appeals process works, how precedent works, how to read a case,” Mr. Hall said of the class curriculum.
Hall has the kids well-versed in the legal lingo, and how to follow proper courtroom procedures. Students alternate between examining witnesses, answering questions from the witness stand, cross-examining witnesses, and serving as jurors. Not everyone here will pursue a career as a lawyer. Some will lean toward law enforcement; others might not enter either profession. But the lessons are invaluable.
“It’s helped my public speaking skills,” said aspiring trial lawyer, Grey Gillespie, who admittedly has learned how to tone down his confrontational approach while questioning witnesses.
“I was good at arguing, so I figured I’d go into law and help people with my arguing skills. At the start (of the year) I was aggressive. I’ve learned to take a more appropriate approach when crossing witnesses and to smile more,” he explained.
Developing a courtroom demeanor is all a part of what’s being taught.
“It's a long time developing these cases,” Hall began to explain. “Everything in them is real; the laws are real, they're working with real case law, which is precedent,” he continued.
“The first few classes we learned about different crimes, and how they go to trial, and that's what really got me interested. And the arguing aspect is just so fun to me,” junior, Joey Schwenger said. His uncle is a prosecutor in the state, so he’s got a great resource in the family.
“I talk to him a lot about it, it’s our main conversation a lot of time,” Schwenger said.
The pathway program here is one of many across the state but having a practicing attorney teaching all aspects of the law to high school students, five days per week, is a unique opportunity should they decide that law school is for them.
“With this program, and I don’t mean to brag, they are going to have a huge leg up. They do not offer this type of programming in college,” Mr. Hall said.
