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Highlands Today

Law Day set for April 29

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By BRAD DICKERSON

Highlands Today

Published: March 6, 2010

SEBRING - The theme for this year's Law Day, set for April 29, is "Free Speech: Tradition and Technology," which students appear to be quite interested in.

To get area teens motivated to enter the Law Day poster and essay contests, local attorneys have been going to schools since last August and talking about the theme and its meaning.

Highlands County Circuit Judge Peter Estrada said they talk about how quickly things people say can suddenly be spread amongst the masses, thanks to the Internet and social networking sites.

"What can you say on Facebook, and what you can't say," said Estrada, who is on the Law Day committee. "What can cause you problems?"

The theme is chosen each year by the American Bar Association. Last year, to commemorate his 200th birthday, it focused on the legal career of President Abraham Lincoln.

Estrada said what the local Law Day committee does is take each year's theme and find ways to make it appealing to kids. With so many adolescents having Facebook or MySpace pages, that seemed like a natural fit for 2010.

"We can't do this without the support of the entire bar, because the bar association gives a lot of time to go into the classrooms," Estrada said. "It's wonderful that the teachers are really, really enthusiastic."

The Law Day luncheon will be held April 29 at noon at the Sebring Civic Center. It is by invitation only.

This year's keynote speaker will be Barbara A. Petersen, president of the First Amendment Foundation.

Petersen began the position in 1995. Before that, she was a staff attorney for the Joint Committee on Information Technology Resources of the Florida Legislature, where she worked exclusively on public records legislation and issues, according to her biography.

The children's program will follow at 3:45 p.m. at the Highlands County Board of County Commissioners boardroom.

This year's deadline for the essay and poster contests is Friday, March 26 at 5 p.m. All entries must be delivered to the law library, located in Room 302 at the Highlands County Courthouse.

The contests are open to students enrolled in a Highlands County public, private or home school.

Also on March 26 is the deadline to register for a two-year scholarship to South Florida Community College, which will go to a full-time student. It is sponsored by the Highlands County Bar Association and the Janette Seamans Branham Scholarship Fund.

Those interested in applying should drop off an application, transcript, two letters of recommendation and a statement of educational/career goals to the law library.

Rules and entry forms for the contest can be found at www.imageevent.com/highlands.

Highlands Today reporter Brad Dickerson can be reached at 863-386-5838 or bdickerson@highlandstoday.com

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