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2003 I Signed the Constitution Program

2003 I Signed the Constitution Program

The Pennsylvania Bar Association in partnership with the National Constitution Center and local bar associations sponsored its fifth annual I Signed the Constitution program during Fall 2003. This unique national program allows students to gain a greater understanding of their rights and responsibilities by signing their names next to the signatures of our founders on a mock U.S. Constitution. The celebration was coordinated by the PBA Law-Related Education Committee.

Schools representing dozens of Pennsylvania counties participated in mock signings�with thousands of student signers statewide. Many local bar associations partnered with schools by helping them to sponsor signing programs. Judges and lawyers from across the commonwealth also worked with schools to participate in activities.

The theme for the PBA�s celebration was �A Constitution for Everyone�Everyday,� in honor of the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Brown v. Board of Education on May 17, 2004. This anniversary gives us a special opportunity to emphasize freedom, equality and justice for all, which are the fundamental principles upon which our country was founded. This constitutional milestone also can serve to inspire lawyers, teachers and students to come together to discuss the complex issues facing today�s society such as diversity, equal rights and personal privacy.

The celebration began with a formal kick-off program on Sept. 17 in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court Chambers. Pennsylvania Superior Court Judge Correale Stevens joined with PBA President Thomas Golden, LRE Committee Co-chairs Judge Linda Wallach Miller and Louis Teti, and students from the Line Mountain Area School District in Northumberland County to celebrate the Constitution.

The winner of the PBA�s 2003 I Signed the Constitution Poster Contest was honored during the May 2004 Law Day Luncheon in Harrisburg. Kala Swope, a sixth grade student from Blair County, was the winner. Her poster serves as the cover the 2004 Law Day Lesson Plan Guide.

The 2003 I Signed the Constitution Program Planning Guide, which includes new lesson plans, is still available.