Connecticut Judicial Branch
Students who participated in the Appellate Court Law Day Program
Video of Appellate Court Ceremony - CT Bar Association
Law Day 2013
Appellate Court, Connecticut Bar Association Host Students For Dramatic Readings of Historical Documents about Equality
HARTFORD—The Connecticut Appellate Court hosted the
Connecticut Bar Association (CBA) and its
invited guests on May 2nd for a Law Day
Ceremony addressing its national theme, 
Realizing the Dream; Equality for
All. Twenty Students from around the state participated in dramatic readings
of important documents in United States history that addressed the right of
equal protection under the law.
In her opening remarks, the Honorable Alexandra D. DiPentima, Chief Judge of the Appellate Court, welcomed attendees, who included Connecticut Secretary of State Denise W. Merrill, and noted that the Law Day event was “…bringing the Bench, the Bar and the Public together to celebrate the rule of law.”
Judge DiPentima added that while planning this year’s event with the CBA, it seemed only natural that the “…words from our founding documents paired with the power from our next generation was the best way to celebrate,” the Law Day 2013 theme.
CBA President Barry C. Hawkins agreed as he thanked the students for their participation. “We are in gratitude to all you students for your dedication, your talents and the efforts that you are about to partake in in making this important ceremony a success.”
Superior Court Judge Susan B. Handy then introduced the day’s moderator, Attorney Eric Parker, a morning co-anchor at WFSB Channel 3 News.
Elementary and Middle School students from Cromwell, West Hartford, Eastford, Trumbull, Mystic and Bridgeport then began reading excerpts from the Declaration of Independence, the 14th and 19th Amendments, the U.S. Supreme Court opinion in Brown v. Board of Education and the I Have a Dream speech by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Following the readings, the students—who were chosen by the CBA’s Civics Education Committee to participate in this year’s Law Day ceremony—were presented citations by Secretary of State Denise W. Merrill.Photos from the Appellate Court Event - Click to see larger version
All students who participated in the Appellate Court Law Day program:
- Cromwell Middle School, Cromwell: Blaise Serra, Victoria Cholodecki
- Duffy Elementary School, West Hartford: Katie Simpson
- Eastford Elementary School, Eastford: Madelyn Grube, Ely Driscoll, Olivia Duncan, Nikolas Jakubowski, Silas Bunnell, Colin Glenn, Jake Owens, Dylan Grube, Emma Kellermann
- Frenchtown Elementary School, Trumbull: Gabriel Morgia
- Mystic Middle School, Mystic: Alexi Switz, Jessica Webber
- Park City Magnet, Bridgeport: E-Nijae Strode-Sims, Leslie Moncada, Ricardo Gayle, Roberto Melendez, Mariah Young-Arrington
Video of Appellate
Court Ceremony - Produced by the Connecticut Bar Association