• Can't Get Respect? - The Foundation is Offering It Free
• New Conflict Resolution Guides Published
• NJSBF Video Loan Library Adds Titles Promoting Tolerance and Combating Bullying
• New and Old Publications Offer Readers Variety
• Attacks on America Spur Legal Community to Aid Victims
• Organization Provides Opportunities for Non-Litigation Pro Bono Assignments

Can't Get Respect? - The Foundation is Offering It Free

Respect is sometimes hard to get. The New Jersey State Bar Foundation is making it easier by offering its latest publication, a newsletter titled, Respect, free to interested schools.

Based on the popularity of the special diversity issue of the Foundation's legal newspaper for kids, The Legal Eagle, the Foundation developed the idea for Respect, a newsletter about law and diversity geared for students in grades 7 to 12.

Intended for publication three times a year, Respect's first issue features articles on the controversy over flying Confederate flags, hate speech in music lyrics and an essay which originally appeared in the diversity issue of The Legal Eagle. Written by a young Japanese-American student, the essay recounts her family's struggle during World War II when Japanese-Americans were forced into internment camps.

"We hope that the teachers and parents who read the newsletter will use it to stimulate a dialogue among students about the complex issues discussed in these articles," said New Jersey State Bar Foundation President Daniel M. Hurley.

One teacher is using the newsletter to do just that. Susan Santowasso, a teacher at Crossroads Middle School in Monmouth Junction, divided her class into three groups and assigned each group a different Respect article. Those three groups were then divided in half and asked to advocate one side of the issue presented in the article. The students were to read through the article, highlighting the facts they would use to defend their particular side of the issue. In front of their classmates, each group debated its issues and then the class voted on which side presented the most convincing argument.

"The students really enjoyed arguing their cases even if they had to defend a side they did not believe in," said Santowasso, who contends that certain issues have already come up in class where she or her students have referred back to those debates.

According to Santowasso, her students found Respect useful and liked the way the newsletter presented current events in an interesting way. She also said the students liked the way the articles provided both sides of the issues, and they admitted that the stories made them think about things that they had not thought about, changing their views on certain issues for some.

Santowasso also encouraged her students to take Respect home and allow their parents to read it, which sparked a dialogue among many. One parent remarked that he changed his opinion about the Confederate flag after reading the article in the newsletter.

The Foundation's Tolerance Committee serves as the editorial advisory board for Respect and oversees its content. Board members are Louis H. Miron, an attorney in Westfield, who chairs the committee; John J. Henschel, with the Rutherford law firm of Caron, Constants & Wilson; Maria E. Hernandez, with the law firm of Lopez-Montalvo in Newark; Desha Jackson, assistant corporation counsel for the City of Newark; Lisa H. James-Beavers, executive director of the New Jersey Department of Education's School Ethics Commission in Trenton; Caroline L. Meuly, assistant prosecutor for the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office in New Brunswick; Robin R. Parker, chief for the Office of Bias Crime and Community Relations in Trenton; Rafael Perez, with the law firm of Cozen & O'Connor in Newark; Lourdes I. Santiago, with the law firm of Mark & Santiago in Jersey City; Dr. Maria Schmidt, supervisor of social studies for the Westfield School District; Amy Zylman Shimalla, with the law firm of Copeland, Shimalla & Wechsler in Warren; and Dr. Paul Winkler, with the New Jersey Department of Education's New Jersey Commission on Holocaust Education in Trenton.

Currently the newsletter is distributed free to more than 126,000 students across the state, with more orders pending. The Foundation encourages teachers to order one copy for each student.

To request copies of the Respect newsletter and receive future issues please visit our Web site at www.njsbf.org or contact the New Jersey State Bar Foundation at 1-800 FREE LAW.

New Conflict Resolution Guides Published

Conflict resolution and peer mediation programs in New Jersey schools are attracting increased attention, particularly as concerns about violence among students escalate. Committed to the promotion of violence prevention, the New Jersey State Bar Foundation recently published a new volume of free conflict resolution curriculum guides at both the elementary and secondary school levels.

Written by the Foundation's Conflict Resolution Panel, comprised of educators and volunteer lawyers, the volume II guides build on concepts introduced in the first volume. Stressing the idea of character education, the volume II lesson plans highlight issues of diversity, self-esteem and gender equity. Each guide comes with a colorful poster to be hung in the classroom. Titled, Honor Each Other, the poster is the basis of two lessons contained in the guide that encourage students to respect one another.

To obtain copies of the volume II Conflict Resolution Guides, visit the Bar Foundation online at www.njsbf.org or call 1-800 FREE LAW.

Training Sessions

In addition to the guides, the Foundation continues to offer its free one-day and two-day conflict resolution trainings for teachers, administrators and para-professionals.

Both the one-day and two-day trainings are focused at the elementary and middle/high school levels. The intense one-day training sessions focus exclusively on conflict resolution techniques and how to utilize the curriculum guides provided by the Bar Foundation. The two-day trainings offer a peer mediation component on the second day building on the concepts of conflict resolution learned from the first day.

Teachers will receive professional development hours for both the one-day and two-day conflict resolution training sessions. Professional development credit will only be given to those teachers who attend the entire program. Late-comers and those who leave before the conclusion of the program are not eligible for professional development credit.

On the elementary level, there are still openings for the two-day training session scheduled for March 8 & 9. There is also a one-day elementary training session scheduled for Saturday, April 20 that still has spots remaining. On the middle/high school level, there are still openings for the two-day training session scheduled for March 22 & 23. There is also a one-day middle/high school level training session with spots remaining that is scheduled for Saturday, February 9.

All training sessions are held from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the New Jersey Law Center in New Brunswick. Space is limited. To register for any of the training sessions, call 1-800 FREE LAW to request a registration form. Please specify whether you are interested in a one-day or two-day training and what grade level you require. Two-day training sessions must be attended in groups of four attendees from each school. One-day sessions may be attended by individuals or groups.

NJSBF Video Loan Library Adds Titles Promoting Tolerance and Combating Bullying

To promote law-related education, the New Jersey State Bar Foundation maintains a free videotape loan library. With more than 250 titles to choose from, the videos can compliment any curriculum. From videos on drug abuse to programs that bring the issue of domestic violence to the forefront, the titles are diverse and not only for school use. Community organizations often make requests, finding that presenting a law-related video can enhance their programming.

The Foundation has recently acquired 26 new titles for its video loan library. The new videos cover the areas of bullying prevention, the Constitution/court system and tolerance.

Video requests must be made in writing and are loaned for a period of two weeks. The Foundation does not charge to borrow these videos, however a $50 refundable security deposit check for each video, made payable to the New Jersey State Bar Foundation, is required.

For more information or a complete list of videos, visit our Web site at www.njsbf.org or call 1-800 FREE LAW. Requests and checks may be sent to the New Jersey State Bar Foundation, Video Loan Library, One Constitution Square, New Brunswick, NJ 08901-1520.

Descriptions of the Foundation's latest acquisitions follow.

Bullying

All About Respect (grades 5-8) - This video provides a hands-on workshop designed to help students think critically about the role of respect in their lives, encouraging young teens to not only give respect to others, but earn it for themselves. (28 minutes)

Broken Toy (grades 4-6) -This video tells the story of Raymond, a 12-year-old boy who is constantly picked on by his classmates. The "bullies" see nothing wrong with what they do until they go too far. (25 minutes)

Bully No More: Stopping the Abuse (grades K-8) - Host Ruby Unger talks with a wide range of kids who discuss how to keep from being a target of bullies; how to stop bullies and get them help; and what to do if you're a witness to bullying. Animation and humor are used to illustrate the teaching points while role-playing examples demonstrate "win-win" techniques for handling bullies. (20 minutes)

Bullying Schools: Strategies for Prevention (staff development) - This video is designed to help administrators and teachers explore ways for creating a school culture and climate in which bullying is not allowed and all children feel safe.

Don't Call Me Names (grades K-2) - This program uses vignettes to highlight the reasons behind name-calling, the effect it has on others and how children can be more assertive and stop others from calling them names. (15 minutes)

Don't Pick on Me (grades 5-9) - This program examines the dynamics behind teasing and being teased, and models effective responses to being harassed. The video challenges viewers to explore the issue of peer cruelty through thought-provoking discussion questions. (21 minutes)

Gossiping, Taunting, Bullying: It's All Harassment (grades 5-9) - This program presents vignettes that show teens what behaviors constitute harassment. Real students talk about their own experiences dealing with harassment. (22 minutes)

Joey (grades 5-12) -This story is a powerful statement on the bullying problem and the consequences this behavior has on all involved. The video chronicles the life of Joey, a young boy who is harassed by his peers wherever he goes until finally, out of desperation, he attempts suicide, alerting his parents to the problem. (32 minutes)

Names Can Really Hurt Us (grades 6-12) - In this video, teenagers will come face-to-face with the issues of prejudice and stereotyping as they watch students in an ethnically diverse school talk about their own bigotry and reveal painful experiences as victims. These revelations lead to healing, self-confidence and the courage to challenge bigots and bullies. (24 minutes)

Put Yourself in Someone Else's Shoes (grades 2-4) - Open-ended scenarios prompt classroom discussion about the important issue of empathy in this video. The video shows that empathetic kids bring sensitivity to their interactions with others, and can more readily resolve conflicts. (16 minutes)

Sticks and Stones (grades K-3) - The theme of this video is about name-calling and the reaction of the victim. In the story, several older children make fun of Cat-a-lion by calling him names. Cat-a-lion feels hurt and powerless and reacts by calling another classmate names. (15 minutes)

Suppose That Was Me (grades 5-8) - This program asks viewers to think about and discuss how they would feel if they were made a target by other students. The video shows short, open-ended scenarios that students will easily relate to. (18 minutes)

What Do You See: Giving Stereotypes a Second Look (grades 7-12) - This video addresses the problem of stereotyping and the pain it creates for those in the stereotyped group. The program challenges students to take a second look and discover what others are all about instead of stereotyping them. (28 minutes)

What It's Like to Be Different (grades 2-4) - In this video, four true-to-life scenarios reveal how a personal attribute or opinion can make youngsters the target of teasing, putdowns and ridicule. Questions that prompt discussion about feelings and encourage the celebration of differences follow each vignette. (14 minutes)

What We Learned About Bullying (grades 2-4) - In this program, real kids speak about how it felt to be a bully and victims of bullying openly discuss how they felt when they were bullied. The victims detail strategies that empowered them to handle bullies without becoming one themselves. (16 minutes)

Constitution/the Court System

Bill of Rights/Bill of Responsibilities - (grades 5-12) Bill Maher hosts this witty inquiry into the meaning of the U.S. Constitution in our lives today. Drawing examples from current events and pop culture, Maher clearly illustrates that the Constitution is "a living document" and demonstrates that history is a continuous process. The program also emphasizes the responsibilities that go along with living in a society where individual rights are so well-protected. (30 minutes)

How a Bill Becomes a Law - (grades 5-12) This program helps students understand the legislative process at both the state and federal level. The video features interviews with legislators, lobbyists and interest group representatives. Students are encouraged to evaluate how political, economic, social, regional and moral considerations affect the lawmaking process. (30 minutes)

Milestone Document Series (grades 5-12)

• The Making of the Constitution - This video puts key events into historical perspective and examines the pressures faced by Loyalists, Patriots and average Colonists in the quest for fair governance. (27 minutes)
• The Bill of Rights: A Living Document - Brief animation introduces key issues in this up-to-date look at the Bill of Rights. Civics experts explore the complexity of individual rights versus the "common good" in discussions about hate speech, school newspapers, random drug testing, gun control and terrorism. (27 minutes)

Of Juries and Sentences Series (grades 5-12)

• Inside the Jury - More than 1.5 million Americans serve on juries each year. This video answers the questions: How are jurors selected and how do they conduct themselves behind the closed doors of the jury room? From voir dire to deliberation, this program spotlights the role that jurors play-and the challenges they face-in a representative case in which a defendant is charged with armed robbery. (45 minutes)
• Cruel and Unusual? - One definition of justice is that the punishment should fit the crime and be in no way cruel and unusual. In this program, California's controversial "Three Strikes" law; a Michigan city's parental responsibility law, in which a minor's parents must do the time for their son's crime; and a Memphis judge's take on alternative sentencing, which allows burglary victims to commit "reverse theft," put that definition to the test. (45 minutes)

Tolerance Issues

A Class Divided (grades 6-12) - A follow-up to Iowa teacher Jane Elliott's original experiment where she taught her third-graders about the effects of prejudice by dividing the class on the basis of eye color. In this PBS Frontline documentary, filmed 15 years later, she meets with some of her former students to analyze the experiment and its impact on their lives. (60 minutes)

Crimes of Hate (grades 6-12) - In an era when bias crimes are increasing in frequency and intensity, this documentary reveals the twisted thinking of perpetrators, the anguish of their victims, and how law enforcement deals with these crimes. The video consists of an overview of hate crimes in three segments-the crime of racism, the crime of anti-Semitism and the crime of gay bashing. (27 minutes)

Eye of the Storm (grades 6-12) - Iowa teacher, Jane Elliott, conducts an eye-opening test of prejudice in her classroom. In a two-day experiment, third-graders are separated into "superior" blue-eyed children and "inferior" brown-eyed children. On the second day, the roles are reversed. This documentary explores the behavioral effects, attitudes and classroom performance of the children as they suffer from the segregation, discrimination and prejudice of the experiment. (25 minutes)

Heil Hitler: Confessions of a Hitler Youth (grades 7-12) - Alfons Heck, one of the millions of impressionable German children, recalls in this video how he became a high-ranking member of the Hitler Youth Movement. While all societies try to influence their youth to follow their values, what makes things go out of control? Students will be encouraged by this video to think more critically about the dangers to society from pressures to conform. Archival footage depicting Nazi violence may be upsetting to some viewers. (30 minutes)

The Truth About Hate(grades 6-12) - Hosted by Leeza Gibbons, this program explores the origins of hate through the eyes of today's teenagers as they come face-to-face with their own racism, ethnic bigotry, religious hatred and sexual discrimination. (32 minutes)

New and Old Publications Offer Readers Variety

The New Jersey State Bar Foundation is offering a host of new publications for students and teachers, while putting a spin on some old publications to provide access to the visually impaired.

Spanish Legal Eagle

Distributed to nearly 238,000 students across the state, the Foundation's legal newspaper for kids, The Legal Eagle, has enjoyed great success. This year, a special Spanish edition of the newspaper is being offered. The special Spanish issue features articles on sexual harassment, the Fourth Amendment and danger on the Internet. The Foundation anticipates publishing one Spanish edition of The Legal Eagle per year. Stories will be selected from articles published in the previous year's issues.

The newspaper, which explains the legal system to students in plain language, is most suitable for students in middle and high school. The Legal Eagle has something for everyone and the Spanish edition would also complement Spanish curriculum on the high school level.

You may order as many copies of the Spanish Legal Eagle as you need by calling 1-800 FREE LAW or e-mail jmiller@njsbf.org. Please specify that you are requesting the Spanish edition of the newspaper. Your name will be placed in a database and you will receive all future Spanish issues as they are published in the quantity you request. If you currently receive the English version of the newspaper, you will not automatically receive the Spanish edition unless you request it.

Back issues of The Legal Eagle (in English) since the newspaper's inception may be found on the Bar Foundation's Web site at www.njsbf.org.

Bill of Rights Bulletin

For teachers looking for a way to make learning about the Bill of Rights more fun, the Foundation has a new publication to offer. Titled, Bill of Rights Bulletin, What Are Your Rights?, this colorful, 16-page newsletter is packed with articles covering the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution. The articles were originally published in The Legal Eagle.

In addition to the informative articles, readers will find crossword puzzles, word searches, trivia about the U.S. Constitution, interesting facts about our founding fathers and much more. Teachers are encouraged to order as many copies of the free newsletter as they need for their students.

You Have the Right!

Keeping young people informed of their rights and places where they can go for help is the goal of You Have the Right!, Your Rights as a Young Person in New Jersey, a new publication published by the New Jersey State Bar Foundation and the Association for Children of New Jersey. The booklet is offered free to New Jersey schools and the public.

Created and written by the Association for Children of New Jersey, the 60-page booklet is geared to middle and high school students and their parents. The booklet covers such areas as a young person's right to make decisions, their rights in the family, in school, in out-of-home placements, and in the court system. In addition, the booklet touches on other topics such as special education, adoption and juvenile delinquency. You Have the Right! also offers readers a section titled "Where to Go for Help" that lists many agencies and organizations that specialize in dealing with issues that affect young adults.

Old Publications in Alternative Formats

In addition to the new publications being offered this year, a number of old Foundation publications are available in audio format and Braille for the visually impaired.

The Foundation publications that are available in audio format and Braille include, Students' Rights Handbook, Educational Guide for Trial Jurors, AIDS and the Law in New Jersey, Law Points for Senior Citizens, Consumer's Guide to New Jersey Law and Disability Law: A Legal Primer.

All of these publications are also available on the Foundation's Web site in streaming audio. In addition, all the material on the Foundation's site is accessible to individuals who are visually impaired or blind who utilize special web-reading software.

To order any of the above publications or for more information on other Foundation programs visit our Web site at www.njsbf.org or call 1-800-FREE LAW.

Attacks on America Spur Legal Community to Aid Victims

The attacks of September 11, while leaving many numb, have driven the legal community to action. Visitors who log onto the Bar Foundation's Web site at www.njsbf.org, will find a special icon of the Stars and Stripes waving. Titled, "Info for 9-11 Victims and Families," the link takes users to a page that provides information on where to go for help.

Links to the New Jersey State Bar Association (NJSBA) and the Essex County Bar Association provide information to attorneys who would like to volunteer for the New Jersey Disaster Response Team. A Disaster Hotline is also available to individuals affected by the tragedy who are seeking legal assistance. Maintained by the NJSBA, that number is 1-888-541-1900.

There is also a link on the Foundation's site to the New York State Bar Association (NYSBA) World Trade Center Assistance Program, which provides information to attorneys on how to assist clients who have been victims of the disaster. The NYSBA link also provides useful information to attorneys and non-attorneys who were displaced because of the disaster, including how to obtain assistance, frequently asked questions and NYC business assistance information.

Lending a Helping Hand

Visitors can also download copies of the Helping Handbook, a legal resource guide for families of the victims of the World Trade Center, from the Foundation's Web site, as well as a special New Jersey edition of this guide. Created by the law firm of Riker, Danzig, Scherer, Hyland & Perretti in Morristown, the New Jersey edition of the guide features sections on such topics as death certificates, probate, social security and life insurance. In addition, the topics of New Jersey and New York state aid, federal aid, unemployment assistance, as well as retirement plans and benefits are also covered in the guide.

A special booklet, titled, Handbook for Small Businesses Affected by the World Trade Center Disaster, can also be downloaded from the Foundation's site. The handbook contains sections on employment and benefits, loans, insurance, taxes, death of a business owner, contracts, bankruptcy, real estate, immigration, nonprofit organizations, and other helpful resources.

Finally, a link to the Trial Lawyers Care Program is also available on the Foundation's site. Trial Lawyers Care, Inc. is a non-profit corporation originally created by the Association of Trial Lawyers of America in association with the American Trial Lawyers Association-New Jersey and the New York Trial Lawyers Association, that provides free legal services to the September 11th terrorist attack victims who choose to make claims under the federal September 11th Victim Compensation Fund.

Organization Provides Opportunities for Non-Litigation Pro Bono Assignments

Attorneys interested in finding pro bono assignments that do not involve litigation or court may contact the Pro Bono Partnership, a tax-exempt charity that matches eligible nonprofit organizations with volunteer attorneys willing to provide pro bono legal assistance to meet the charity's business legal needs. The Pro Bono Partnership recruits attorneys in all specialty areas to provide non-litigation legal services to charitable organizations that serve poor and disadvantaged individuals and help revitalize communities. The volunteer attorneys are able to select pro bono matters that are manageable and consistent with the legal skills the attorney possesses.

In addition, the Partnership provides liability insurance coverage for all volunteer attorneys and back-up support, forms, supervision and coordination as needed through its in-house legal staff. The Partnership can pair attorneys with other in-house counsel or private lawyers on appropriate matters.

Recently the Partnership was recognized by the New Jersey Supreme Court as a "Section 88" legal services program, making its volunteers eligible for exemption from a mandatory court assignment under Madden v. Delran. Attorneys providing pro bono service through the Pro Bono Partnership are eligible for an exemption from a mandatory pro bono assignment if the volunteer attorney provides at least 25 hours of volunteer service to the Partnership in a calendar year.

The Partnership assigns such non-litigation legal matters as reviewing a nonprofit organization's lease; reviewing a charity's personnel policies; assisting with the merger of two nonprofit corporations; reviewing contracts; or advising on intellectual property matters or assisting a charity to prudently address potential liability issues.

Attorneys interested in volunteering with the Pro Bono Partnership may visit its Web site at www.probonopartnership.org or call Jennifer Chandler Hauge, Esq. at (973) 273-0600.