“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”
What are the Barristers?
Zachary Walden, an attorney at Eldridge and Cravens, PC, P.C., is member of the Knoxville Bar Association Barristers, the young lawyers division of the KBA. Zack serves as co-chair of the KBA Barristers Law Day and School Outreach Committee. Zack and his colleagues celebrated Constitution Day on September 17, 2018, with third-grade students at Christenberry Elementary School. The Law Day and School Outreach Committee worked with Knox County Schools and 3rd grade teacher Jessica Seaton to create a civic education program for elementary school students centered on the United States Constitution.
What is Constitution Day?
Constitution Day is an American federal observance that commemorates the formation and signing of the United States Constitution on September 17, 1787. The program, which the Barristers hope to expand to other Knox County Schools in the future, teaches students about the importance of the U.S. Constitution and the rights and freedoms it protects. The Barristers also provided each student with a pocket copy of the Constitution.
The program had two components: an education component and an applied skills component. The education component consisted of educating students in third-grade classes about the Constitution. Over the next week, the third-grade teachers built from the education program to help their students prepare short presentations related to the Constitution.
On Constitution Day, each group prepared a short presentation to members of the local judiciary based on their understanding of the Constitution. Groups memorized (and sang) the Preamble, authored a classroom bills of rights, and created a fourth branch of government. United States Bankruptcy Judge Suzanne H. Bauknight, General Sessions Judge Charles A. Cerny, Jr., and Judge Lisa A. Lowe of the Tennessee Court of Workers Compensation Claims volunteered to participate in this great event. After the presentations, the judges talked with the students about the importance of the Constitution and how it impacts their important duties.
What is the Barristers President’s Award?
In December of 2018, Zack and co-chair Luke Ihnen were recognized with the Barristers’ highest honor for their work in creating and implementing this new educational program. Zack and Luke were awarded the Knoxville Bar Association Barristers President’s Award. If you are interested in learning more, contact Zack.
To read more about Constitution Day click here – to the November 2018 DICTA article.
A sneak peek of Zack at Constitution Day!