AEC Trial By Peers

Adelson students have what it takes to do the real work of trial attorneys before they graduate from high school. Trial By Peers (TBP) is a juvenile diversion program run by the Clark County Law Foundation in which middle and high school students across Las Vegas prosecute and defend real cases. The program allows juveniles charged with misdemeanors to be tried, represented, and sentenced by their peers: other tweens and teens.

Student volunteers who serve as peer counselors or jurors are provided with eight weeks of free training through a rigorous summer program. At the training, students must pass a mini-bar exam and engage in a mock trial to demonstrate that they have what it takes to represent real clients in court. Whenever a peer counselor takes on a case, they are mentored by state-licensed attorneys, trying the case in front of a real judge.

AEC’s student participation in Trial By Peers began last year with the formal start of our Law and Policy Focus Area. The school now boasts seventeen TBP graduates who are eligible to serve as peer counselors. Eight of these students are middle schoolers who had the unique AEC advantage of participating in specially designed middle school law classes that were designed and taught by Law and Policy Program Lead and California licensed attorney Courtney Stern. “I am so proud of the dedication to public service and promotion of justice that the students of AEC have demonstrated through their participation in Trial By Peers and the law courses at AEC,” says Ms. Stern. “These students will graduate from AEC with up to six years of trial experience. It is an unparalleled opportunity for growth and leadership.”

Students with an interest in law are encouraged to hone their skills by taking advantage of the courses offered at AEC. Our AEC Law and Policy Focus Area is uniquely developed to support students who are exploring careers in law or policy or will benefit from the same reading, writing, speaking, and critical thinking skill set. Trial By Peers will again begin accepting applications in the Spring. Interested students should reach out to Ms. Stern via Edsby.

TRIAL BY PEERS PARTICIPANTS

Ash Abrahamson

Ethan Cohen

Jonah Fish

MacKenzie George

Caroline Gephart

Kaelin Gowdy

Grant Kobyliatski

Evan Leung

Seth Mann

Nicole Miller

Daniel Nizgoda

Tilly Reinhart

Zachary Rosenfeld