Annual Law Day Contest

Schools, colleges, universities, and community groups, in partnership with members of the Michigan legal community, were invited to submit a creative entry illustrating the 2012 Law Day theme, “Michigan: No Courts, No Justice, No Freedom,” using content from one or more Michigan Legal Milestones located throughout the state. Below is the winning entry.

A group of talented fifth graders from Cranbrook’s Brookside Elementary in Bloomfield Hills won the State Bar’s first annual Law Day Contest.

The group, led by attorney advisors Gerard Mantese and Theresamarie Mantese, submitted this 26-minute video re-enactment of the Roosevelt Newett defamation trial. The trial was the subject of a 1986 State Bar Michigan Legal Milestone. Contest entrants had to link this year's Law Day theme “No Courts, No Justice, No Freedom” to one or more Michigan Legal Milestones.

For their efforts, Brookside Elementary received a $1,000 grand prize award that was presented by SBM President Julie Fershtman on May 10. They donated their prize to the Early Childhood Center at Hamtramck Public Schools.

Brookside student winners include Mahshad Afshar, Sydney Allison, Grace Coleman, Matthew Forbes, Spencer Forbes, Gabrielle Gross, Sofie Harb, Zehra Husaini, Emily Jones, Swathi Karthik, Isabel Mantese, Claire Pearce, Kareem Rifai, Hanna Rodriguez, Sierra Safian, Surina Sheth, and Paige Tar.

Learn more about the State Bar's Michigan Legal Milestone Program.

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