| Chief Justice Saitta accepts ABA award for nation’s best Law Day program |
| Thursday, 02 February 2012 13:53 | |||
 Chief Justice Nancy Saitta accepts the American Bar Association’s award to honor the Nevada Supreme Court for having the nation’s best Law Day program. The award was presented by ABA Law Day Chairman Mark Agrast, right, during ceremonies in New Orleans. At left is Connie Akridge, president of the State Bar of Nevada, a Supreme Court partner for Law Day activities.
Chief Justice Nancy Saitta has accepted the award from the American Bar Association to honor the Nevada Supreme Court for having the nation’s best Law Day program in 2011. The Law Day Outstanding Activity Award, honoring the state’s innovative Law Day Live program that focused on the rights of the accused to be represented by lawyers, was presented on Feb. 2 during a luncheon at the ABA’s Midyear Meeting in New Orleans. “This is a great honor for the Supreme Court and for Nevada,” Chief Justice Saitta said. “I am gratified that the ABA recognized the efforts of all those in the justice system and the educators who worked so hard to make this unique learning experience possible.” The award luncheon was attended by most of the Nevada delegation, including Connie Akridge, State Bar of Nevada President; Frank Flaherty, incoming president; Dara Goldsmith and Rue Goodenow, members of the Board of Governors; and Kim Farmer, State Bar of Nevada Executive Director. Law Day Live was a high-tech, interactive Internet forum created by the Nevada Supreme Court that emphasized the legacy of John Adams, second president of the United States. The ABA’s Law Day theme was The Legacy of John Adams, from Boston to Guantanamo.
Panels in three Nevada courtrooms and a film producer in Washington D.C. were video linked onto a single screen in a public webcast to discuss the rights of those charged with crimes to have legal counsel. Adams had advocated that principle even before the Revolutionary War and demonstrated his commitment when he took the unpopular step of representing the British soldiers charged in the Boston Massacre. Panelists and students explored the relevance today around the detention of enemy combatants at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. “Law Day Live not only showcased our commitment in Nevada to the rule of law and the rights of the accused, but demonstrated how today’s technology can help spread that message to both the urban and rural corners of Nevada and across the nation and world,” Chief Justice Saitta said. In Las Vegas, Law Day Live featured a live costumed John Adams, who was actually high school history teacher Jeff Hinton, who routinely dresses in costume to bring history to life for his students. As a history teacher knowledgeable about John Adams, Mr. Hinton was called on during Law Day Live to discuss John Adams’ role in the defense of the British soldiers. The two-hour Law Day Live webcast May 5, 2011, on the Supreme Court’s website, connected middle and high schools across the state in a live streamed Internet forum to explore the principles that John Adams advocated. Schools throughout Nevada used it as an educational tool. In Nevada, courtrooms in Las Vegas, Carson City, and Winnemucca were linked through video conferencing technology. Panels at each location included judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, and law enforcement. Chief Justice Saitta, who chairs the Supreme Court’s Judicial Public Information Committee, moderated Law Day Live from Las Vegas. Film producer Sig Libowitz participated through a video link from Washington D.C. Law Day Live began with a showing of Mr. Libowitz’s film The Response, which is a thought-provoking 30-minute courtroom drama about the inner workings of the military tribunals for detainees at the U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay. The video was broadcast on the Supreme Court website prior to the panel discussions and available to everyone worldwide with Internet access. During Law Day Live, students and the general public were allowed to pose questions or make comments through Twitter and Facebook. More than 100 students were present in the courtrooms and asked questions directly to the panelists. Leading up to Law Day, John Adams promoted Law Day Live on television news shows as well as on the Supreme Court’s Law Day webpage. John Adams also had his own Twitter and Facebook pages providing information about Law Day. Between April 1 and June 16, 2011, visitors to the Law Day webpage came from 37 states and 20 countries.
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| Last Updated on Monday, 13 February 2012 16:42 |
