Flushing High School, located in Queens, New York, has a beautiful history as it is the oldest public school in New York. It is known for how many different program they offer as the programs are very diverse. This includes its notable law program, not every school has a Law program. However if they do some of them do not have a law team. Here at Flushing there is both a law program and a law team. The law program at Flushing High School aims to equip students with the skills and knowledge needed to pursue careers in the legal field, such as becoming lawyers or judges.
The law program is part of the Social Studies Department, which focuses on building historical thinking skills and engaging students in challenging and culturally relevant content. The program offers courses that allow students to learn and practice legal skills, preparing them for further education and careers in legal studies. This program is offer to an elective for anyone who is interested.
Within this program, participants are encouraged to become members of the Flushing Law Team, engaging in practical experiences through Moot Court and Mock Trial tournaments. The program also provides opportunities to visit federal courthouses and interact with guest speakers who share their legal expertise, thereby enriching the students’ understanding of the legal field.
What’s it like to be in the Program? Some may ask Camila, a student who is both in the law program and the law team describes it as “useful”. She thinks it’s useful to her and her future as it is something that she wants to pursue sometime. She also explains that being on the law team is “somewhat time consuming” because it is a commitment that one has to make.
This law program has been around for a while but there is still improvements to be made. When asked ‘Where is the Program going in the Future?’ Mr. Gitliz the law team adviser and teacher responded with “We are working on expanding our learning opportunities with the Justice Resource Center. Additionally, we have been adopted by the Franklin H. Williams Judicial Commission of the NYS Unified Court System and are partnering with the Queens DA’s office to bring more students to visit both state and federal courts. We are also seeking to expand our course and internship opportunities as well”.