Fourth-graders at Ramsay Elementary School recently had the opportunity to experience life in a courtroom. As part of the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Law Day, the father of Brittany Welch, a fourth-grader in teacher Nikki Tamblyn’s class, came in to discuss what his life as an attorney is like on a day-to-day basis. Attorney Christopher Welch contacted Tamblyn and offered to come in and make a presentation to the fourth grade at the Mt. Pleasant Area School District facility. “I think that him calling and offering to do this was very nice,” Tamblyn said. “I would never feel right calling him and asking him to do such a thing because I know how busy attorneys are, but I couldn’t pass up the offer. It was really kind of him to take time out of his busy schedule.” Welch spent about an hour with each of the four fourth-grade classes discussing the development of the legal system, the history of law, how to resolve conflicts, the workings of a criminal case and the titles of the parties involved, including the plaintiff, defendant, prosecuting attorney, defense attorney, judge, witnesses and jurors. “Over time a system of laws have developed and we have courts to dispute these things,” Welch said to the students. “The judge is the one to sit in front of the courtroom, but to be a judge you have to have gone to law school and you have to be elected.” The students got to see the process work when they nominated three different classmates and then voted on them. Welch discussed the different sort of crimes that are committed on a regular basis, from arson and murder to robbery, theft and burglary. “A robbery is when a person is being threatened, a theft is when no one is around when something gets stolen, and a burglary is when an individual breaks in with the purpose of committing a crime,” Welch said. At the end of his presentation, students were chosen to portray the trial of Goldie Locks after she was accused of going into the Three Bears’ house, eating their porridge, breaking their chairs and sleeping in their beds. “They did a really good job with the trial,” Welch said. “I was impressed with their knowledge.” Welch said the Pennsylvania Bar Association encourages attorneys to spend the day talking with students. “Law Day is actually put on by the Pennsylvania Bar Association and the state Department of Education,” Welch said. “The purpose of the day is to give students a little bit of exposure to law and what lawyers do and what judges do.” He added that he volunteered to take part in Law Day for his daughter. “Our legal system and our laws continue to grow every day, and it’s good that students get an opportunity to understand the law,” Welch said.

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