Lawyers in the Classroom is a program founded by the Constitutional Rights Foundation Chicago (CRFC) where attorneys volunteer in primarily lower-income elementary and middle school classrooms and teach students about basic aspects of our country’s laws and constitutional rights. Developed by CRFC over the past 20+ years, lesson plans are designed to encourage the students to engage in thought and discussions amongst themselves and dialogue facilitated by the volunteering attorneys.
In 2023, the Holland & Hart Foundation partnered with Denver Public Schools to identify participating schools and classrooms. The volunteer attorneys teamed up in groups of two or three and visited classrooms during the spring semester. Lawyers in the Classroom offers participating attorneys and the Holland & Hart Foundation the opportunity to make a real impact on a significant number of local students in Denver. This year, 42 Holland & Hart attorneys from the firm’s Denver office visited 19 classrooms at six different Denver Public School District elementary schools teaching lessons to students about the Bill of Rights, rulemaking, and how courts interpret laws.
In previous years, to facilitate the program, the Holland & Hart Foundation has partnered with a local non-profit, Center for Education in Law & Democracy (CELD), to coordinate with Denver Public Schools and identify classes for participation. In 2019, 28 Holland & Hart attorneys from the firm’s Boulder and Denver offices visited 13 classrooms at six different Denver Public School District elementary schools and taught 39 sessions to students about the Bill of Rights, rulemaking, and how courts interpret laws.