The Ezra Legal Eagle Society was established 23 years ago. Its goal was to promote legal education in the high school classroom. In its inception, the program required that students take at least four law-related classes and participate in at least one NYS Bar Association-recognized extra-curricular activity.
The concept remains the same, but the choices of classes and activities have grown tremendously. Students are invited to choose from classes that include (but are not limited to) business law, constitutional law, criminal justice, contemporary issues in law, honors legal seminar, comparative law, argumentation, and public speaking. Many of these classes are taught in our very own courtroom, donated by Ezra Alumni of 2007.
Additionally, the activity list has grown exponentially over the years, as well. From the NYS High School Mock Trial Competition, the Legal Eagle Society now invites students to participate in numerous other competitions including (but not limited to) the High School Moot Court Competitions run by Princeton, Duke University and Denver University, the PATCH Program Civil Moot Court Tournament, Model Congress, Model UN, Debate, Extemporaneous Speaking, and Forensic Science. Society members are led by student co-presidents who help organize and facilitate participation on teams. The student leadership includes the presidents as well as captains of each team and other committees that work to encourage academic growth and team success.
This year, for example, the mock trial team placed into the Sweet Sixteen in NYC, losing just before advancement to round 5, a tremendous result in the NYS State competition. Our debate team won several awards just this week at a debate hosted by YUHSG. In addition to all of these classes and programs, it is noteworthy that the legal studies program has become one of the major choices in the majors program at Ezra Academy. All students choose a major before 10th grade and follow a pathway to completion as they finish high school. (The other majors include business, STEM, and Pre-Health).
Now that Ezra has partnered with PCC, students can actually graduate from Ezra Academy having completed more than half of the college credits needed to graduate with a bachelor’s degree. This creates a conduit to early admission to law school (among other opportunities). Finally, as a culmination of the legal studies program, seniors are invited to intern in law offices of Ezra graduates who are currently practicing law.
The program has grown and blossomed with time. Ezra is tremendously proud of all the lawyers who began their careers in this program and those who are taking that journey now.
