MSU Law Dean Participates in Opening Gavel Ceremony

East Lansing, MI – MSU Law Dean Joan Howarth, joined the Wainwright Leadership, Law, and Government Magnet School on Thursday, October 23, 2008 as they unveiled their new, in-school courtroom with an “Opening Gavel” ceremony.

The school's law and government teacher plans on holding classes in the courtroom, where the students will participate in mock trials. In the near future, it will also serve as the voting grounds for students to discuss cases involving school rules and interests. The school hopes to use their new courtroom as a venue for Lansing's Teen Court and would like local District judges to consider holding court for some routine cases in the school so students have an opportunity to see the judicial system in action.

Dean Howarth was impressed by Wainwright's goals and actions and has expressed great interest in forming a partnership with the school's program in the future.

MSU College of Law was in founded in 1891 and is a private institution of higher learning devoted exclusively to professional education in law. The Law College is one of only a few private law schools to be affiliated with a research university, enabling it to provide a comprehensive interdisciplinary legal education program. Classes offered in its state-of-the-art facilities provide students the benefits of a Big Ten campus while maintaining the small school culture. Its 2007 graduates achieved a 93 percent bar examination passage rate nationwide. The Law College is one of the oldest continuously operating independent law colleges in the nation. For more information about the Law College, visit www.law.msu.edu.

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320B Law College Building
East Lansing, MI 48824
www.law.msu.edu