The schools participating in the November 16 program were from Fulton High School and Gibbs High School. This program is funded through a grant by the Knoxville Bar Foundation, in partnership with the Knoxville Chapter of the Federal Bar Association. Twenty-eight students and chaperones participated in Justice for All in November. The program began with a courthouse tour, which included the Donald K. Ferguson History Center and the U.S. Marshals Service offices, with a presentation concerning the role of the Marshals Service in the judicial system.
Following the tour, the students attended a panel discussion entitled "Pursuit of a Dream," featuring deans and students from the University of Tennessee College of Law and the Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law, in addition to four local attorneys with diverse backgrounds and practice areas. The panelists discussed their backgrounds and what led them to a career in law, as well as the ways in which they overcame obstacles to becoming lawyers. The students showed great appreciation for the opportunity to hear the personal experiences of the panelists in their journey to the law. Students were also treated to lunch, at which they had an opportunity to interact more personally with the panelists and local federal and state judges.
After lunch, the students participated in a mock trial, followed by a panel discussion with federal and state judges. One of the teachers who attended described the event as "one of the best things [he has] done in [his] thirty years of teaching." Teachers who are interested in participating in a future Justice for All program should email Judge Bauknight's assistant, Teresa Wheeler, at teresa_wheeler@tneb.uscourts.gov.
