October 20, 2015 – The Justice Resource Center organized the 31st Annual MENTOR Kick-Off on October 7, 2015, hosted by Fordham Law School. The luncheon is an opportunity for MENTOR teachers and attorneys across the citywide “Law Cluster” to meet, discuss updates for the coming year, and receive the official materials for the 2015 Moot Court competition. 50 MENTOR law firms and legal organizations partnered with NYC public high schools were invited to attend the event. The day featured guest speakers from the NYC Department of Education, Second Circuit Court of Appeals, Fordham School of Law, JRC Board of Directors, and documentary producer Dog Green Productions.
Since the 1980’s, the Justice Resource Center has partnered with Fordham Law School to offer the MENTOR Moot Court competition to NYC high schools. Approximately 50 high school teams of eight students each compete in single-elimination rounds in November through December. The MENTOR Moot Court competition is part of the MENTOR Law Program, a national program created by lawyers, which partners law firms with public high schools. MENTOR attorneys and law teachers coach students in legal research and oral advocacy skills based on the published MENTOR Moot Court case materials. All original materials are written by the Fordham Law School Moot Court Board and are now available on the Moot Court webpage.
