Volunteer Judges and Attorneys to Present Mock Trials Based on Well-Known Fairy Tales...

Volunteer Judges and Attorneys to Present Mock Trials Based on Well-Known
Fairy Tales to Philadelphia Students

PHILADELPHIA, April 20 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Volunteer judges and
attorneys will use the facts of fairy tales "Goldilocks" and "The Three Little
Pigs" to present mock trials to Philadelphia school students on Friday, May 1,
at six different courtrooms in City Hall from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. The event is
one of many organized by the Philadelphia Bar Association to mark Law Week
2009, April 27 to May 1.

Volunteer attorneys will act as prosecutors, defense attorneys and witnesses
in the "criminal trials" of the famed fairy tale characters, even dressing for
the parts. Included will be opening statements, examinations and
cross-examinations of witnesses, closing arguments, and instructions of the
juries. At the conclusion of each trial the students are instructed on the
role of the jury and encouraged to determine whether the "Big Bad Wolf" or
"Goldilocks" is guilty of a crime.

Press coverage of this event is limited to Ceremonial Courtroom CH 653.

Other events taking place during Law Week are:

Lawyer in the Classroom, Monday, April 27 - Volunteer lawyers visit different
schools throughout the week to address students' concerns about the law and
the legal issues that affect them as they enter adulthood, and answer
questions about the legal profession.

Legal Advice Live!, Wednesday, April 29 - Philadelphia attorneys will gather
to provide free, in-person legal advice during the Legal Advice Live! program,
from 12 to 2 p.m. at the Central (Main) Branch of the Philadelphia Library,
located at 1901 Vine Street, the South Philadelphia branch, at 1700 S. Broad
St., and the Wynnefield branch, at 5325 Overbrook Avenue, as well as other
satellite branches throughout the city. Attorneys will provide answers to
legal questions on a broad range of topics.

Also on Wednesday, free legal advice will be given through the Legal Line
hotline. From 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., area residents can call lawyers at
215-238-6333 and have their legal questions answered confidentially without a
fee.

Lawyer for a Day, Friday, May 1 - Volunteer attorneys and judges pair with
high school students and "show them the ropes" of their jobs by taking them
into the courts during the Lawyer for a Day program. Several city courtrooms
will be open to allow the participants to observe the proceedings. The
students will meet the lawyers and judges and will participate in a concluding
lunch, during which the students will recount their experiences and hear from
this year's special guest speaker, Judge Marjorie ("Midge") Rendell, the first
lady of Pennsylvania.

Edward F. Chacker Essay Contest, Friday, May 1 - A Naturalization Ceremony
welcoming dozens of new U.S. citizens will be held at the U.S. Courthouse, 6th
and Market Streets in Philadelphia, at 10:30 a.m. Here, the winner of the Bar
Association's annual essay contest- open to Philadelphia-area high school
seniors - will read aloud his or her essay.

All of the Law Week activities are under the direction of Association
Chancellor-Elect, Scott F. Cooper, and are coordinated by the Association's
Young Lawyers Division (YLD) and Law Week co-chairs Abbie DuFrayne, Kelly
Gastley and Carey Chopko with the help of scores of lawyer-volunteers.

For additional information and updates, visit the Bar Association's website
at: http://www.philadelphiabar.org/page/LawWeek or call 215.238.6300.

SOURCE Philadelphia Bar Association

Michael Petitti of Philadelphia Bar Association, +1-215-238-6342,
+1-215-804-7896, mpetitti@philabar.org