Rapoport Weisberg & Sims P.C. attorney Octavio Duran participated as a volunteer for the “Lawyers in the Classroom” program organized by the Young Lawyers Section of the Chicago Bar Association. Mr. Duran visited a sixth grade class at Decatur Elementary School on the north side of Chicago. He was enthusiastic about the experience and the response of the students. “I had the privilege of teaching a sixth grade class a bit about the ambiguities of the rules and laws that shape our country and how challenging it can be to interpret them.”
The volunteers shared a rule with the students to guide them through their lesson. The rule was NO VEHICLES IN THE PARK. “We briefly discussed the intent of legislators in drafting the rule as well as the plain meaning of the letter of the law. We worked through different scenarios where the rule conflicted with unforeseen daily activities. At the end of the lesson, the students understood the role that attorneys play in interpreting a rule.”
Mr. Duran was impressed with the student’s willingness to participate, and their high level of intelligence. “It’s truly inspiring to see such a young group of children understand the complexity of such a lesson.”