Washington Courts: Press Release DetailAnnual Youth & Justice Forum encourages students toward careers in legal systemOctober 28, 2015
PASCO — More than 200 middle and high school students from throughout the Tri-Cities are expected to attend the 13th annual Youth & Justice Forum on November 6 at Columbia Basin College to learn about the different careers in law and justice, and how more diversity can improve the system.
The forum was launched in 2003 by long-time Superior Court Judge Dennis Yule (now retired), and is co-sponsored by the Washington State Minority and Justice Commission along with Educational Service District 123, Columbia Basin College, the Latina/o Bar Association of Washington, the University of Washington School of Law, Seattle University School of Law, Gonzaga School of Law, and many other local businesses, law firms, and organizations in the Tri-Cities and surrounding areas.
Students will attend the forum between 8:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. at Columbia Basin College’s Gjerde Center, 2600 North 20th Ave. Pasco, to hear from a variety of justice system professionals such as judges, law enforcement officers, attorneys, court interpreters, probation officers, forensic scientists, corrections officers and more. Among this year’s Youth & Justice Forum presenters include Washington State Supreme Court Justice Mary Yu, United States District Court Judge Salvador Mendoza Jr., judges from the Benton and Franklin County Superior Courts, representatives from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pasco Police Department, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, and many more.
“The Forum provides us with a golden opportunity to reach out to young people and to let them know how important they are,” said Washington Supreme Court Justice Mary Yu, co-chair of the Minority and Justice Commission. “In answering their questions about the criminal justice system and by humanizing the process, we provide insight into our work and hopefully restore confidence in what we do, such that they might join our profession someday.”
The principal mission of the forum is to promote racial and ethnic diversity in the justice system workforce so that it reflects the diversity of the communities it serves. Speakers hope to inspire students both to think about their legal rights and obligations as members of their communities, and to consider careers in the justice system as one way of making a positive impact on society.
The Washington State Minority & Justice Commission was established by the state Supreme Court in 1990 to determine whether racial and ethnic bias exists in the courts of Washington and to take creative steps to overcome and prevent it.The Commission grew out of a task force established in 1988 at the urging of state legislators.
CONTACT: Cynthia Delostrinos, Court Program Analyst, Washington State Minority & Justice Commission, (360) 705-5290.
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