Montgomery Bar Association Hosts First Annual Day in Court

The Montgomery Bar Association’s Diversity Committee, in partnership with three locally based parent-student leadership groups, will host their first annual Day in Court program from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. May 29 at the Montgomery County Courthouse. 

Attending middle school and high school students from Abington School District will observe a live court proceeding and have the opportunity to meet with Montgomery County Judges Cheryl L. Austin, Garrett D. Page and Carolyn T. Carluccio, as well as District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman, retired Chief Detective Oscar Vance (both graduates of Abington High School) and Public Defender Keir Bradford-Grey.

Throughout the day’s events, students will partner with mentor attorneys Marilou Watson and Lindette Hassan of Fox Rothschild LLP, Shelly Smith of the Law Offices of Charles Daly, Mohammad Ghiasuddin of Kaplin Stewart Meloff Reiter & Stein, P.C. and Kelly Hodge of the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency.

Participating students are members of two homegrown, award-winning minority leadership programs which operate in partnership with the Abington School District: VIBE, (Voices Involved in promoting Black Excellence) which encourages positive self-identity and fosters leadership development among young males, and its female counterpart, IMAGINE, (I’m A Girl, Intelligent, Noble and Educated) which provides African-American girls a forum to self-advocate, improve self-image and to generally enrich their lives.  Both of these programs, founded by administrators at Abington Jr. High School, aim to give a voice to diverse students throughout the school and community and assist them in embracing their talents and goals. The CALM Society (Committed Advocates Leading Many), a parent group, also works in partnership with the Abington School District to support these programs.  

The Day in Court program is part of the Montgomery Bar Association’s efforts to promote diversity within the legal community.  Other initiatives include the 1L Summer Internship for diverse first year law students.  In the fall, members of Montgomery Bar Association’s Diversity Committee will teach courses in the law to middle and high school students throughout the Abington School District, with hopes to extend the program to other school districts in Montgomery County.

About The Montgomery Bar Association

Established in 1885 to professionalize the county’s practice of law, the Montgomery Bar Association (MBA) is one of our nation’s oldest and most respected bar associations, representing over 2,100 legal professionals in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.  Now, as then, the MBA exists to uphold legal and ethical standards in our legal community.  As the third largest Bar in Pennsylvania, the MBA has a longstanding tradition of service to its membership and the community.   For members, the MBA offers an important arena for networking, professional development and education.  For the community, the MBA serves as a legal resource offering education, legal assistance and funds and resources for individuals and agencies in need.  The Association is actively engaged in public service through community outreach, free educational events offered throughout the year, programs like the Montgomery Child Advocacy Project, the Mock Trial Competitions for high-school students, and more.  For more information on the Montgomery Bar Association, visitwww.montgomerybar.org.