Augusta association celebrates Law Day
Cal Hamilton, 9, says he likes to draw, especially eagles.
Westmont Elementary School fourth-grader Abby Dukes, 10, of Martinez, gets a certificate and $50 Target gift card for her first-place Law Day poster from Augusta Bar Association President Harry Revell, (left) and Law Day Chairman Mark Williams. A classmate, Cal Hamilton, 9, also won first place out of nearly 100 entries. The poster contest was themed The American Jury: We the People in Action.
Photo by Valerie Rowell
One eagle, drawn as a poster representing justice, earned him one of two first-place awards in the Augusta Bar Association's Law Day 2005 poster contest.
Abby Dukes, 10, Cal's classmate in Kim Garvin's Westmont Elementary School fourth-grade class, created the other first-place poster for the contest, whose theme was The American Jury: We the People in Action.
"Justice," Cal said of what he was trying to portray in the poster of the gigantic eagle. "It was about the three branches of government - executive, judicial and legislative."
Augusta Bar Association President Harry Revell said his association celebrates Law Day each May to educate the public about lawyers and the legal process.
"We try to encourage students to be a part of it," Revell said, adding that nearly 100 posters were entered by elementary and middle school pupils from Columbia and Richmond counties. "We chose these two entries because we thought they were excellent posters and they exemplify Law Day in them with what we were promoting."
Mark Williams, the Law Day chairman for the association, said the posters were chosen on creativity and artistic talent.
The fourth-graders got a surprise in class May 18, when Revell and Williamson arrived at the classroom door to announce the winners and award Abby and Cal each a certificate and $50 Target gift card. Both posters were displayed at the Law Day celebration May 5.
Abby's poster depicted a courtroom complete with judge and court clerk, jury members and a spectators section. Though Abby said she had never been inside a courtroom, she's seen one on television.
"She did a great job," Williamson said.
Garvin said she was proud, especially since both winners came from her class. The contest gave Garvin a chance to discuss the legal system and her recent jury experience with her pupils.
"It was a great opportunity for us to talk about being on a jury," Garvin said. "We learned a lot."