Bring the Courtroom to Your Community: Sign Up to Volunteer for Our Courts!
The State Bar is still accepting volunteers for the Green Bay Our Courts training program, so sign up today.
If you cannot make it to Green Bay in September, keep in mind that there will be additional training sessions in La Crosse and Rice Lake later this year.
For more information and to sign up, contact Public Education Manager Katie Wilcox at (608) 250-6191 or kwilcox@wisbar.org.
Aug. 19, 2014 – As the State Bar of Wisconsin gears up for the impending school year, the organization plans to host several training programs around the state to instruct attorneys and judges on how to be presenters for Our Courts Wisconsin, one of its top public education programs.
The first training will be held in Green Bay at the Hyatt on Main on Saturday, Sept. 13, followed by trainings in La Crosse and Rice Lake later this year.
To volunteer as an Our Courts speaker, judges and attorneys must participate in one of the State Bar’s speaker training sessions. Our Courts Committee Co-Chair Ann Brandau said that volunteers will be trained to deliver information that’s both entertaining and educational.
“As attorneys and judges look to get involved, they should keep in mind that there is not necessarily a script,” Brandau said. “Instead all presenters are given guidelines, but then encouraged to add their own personal touch.”
Our Courts is a relatively new addition to the State Bar’s repertoire of public education programs. But even with only a year under its belt, the program continues to grow in popularity. After its initial launch last year, Our Courts has made its way around the state, from Fall Creek to Milwaukee. In total, volunteers gave 17 presentations last year. Twelve attorneys are trained to be presenters, along with 10 judges.
As the program continues to develop, Our Courts is looking to significantly expand its volunteer pool. Having volunteers from every region in the state will ensure a presentation in Central or Northwest Wisconsin can be booked and fully outfitted with an attorney and judge presenter without delay.
Our Courts’ four programs range from the dynamic reading of an essay about Abraham Lincoln in Lincoln’s Legacy to an interactive look at Wisconsin’s courts in Understanding the Importance of Your Court System. Audience members will gain knowledge of criminal court proceedings through the use of a fictional case in Understanding the Criminal Court Process. Myths & Realities is a humorous presentation that helps audience members better understand the judicial system through exploring and critically analyzing pop culture references of court proceedings.
