Help your community understand Missouri’s judicial system by joining the Education Outreach Network
One of the most important roles of those who work in the legal profession is public education — particularly when it comes to our judicial system. Nowhere is that responsibility more evident than during judicial retention election years, when Missourians are asked to vote on whether judges should remain in their positions, often with a limited understanding of how the retention process works or why it exists. Lawyers are uniquely positioned to help bridge that gap.
The Education Outreach Network
The Education Outreach Network was created to help inform the public about judicial retention elections and The Missouri Plan by matching volunteer lawyers with interested community groups. Members of the network are provided with the tools and resources needed for successful and informative presentations. By helping Missourians understand the benefits of merit selection and the retention process, you can help preserve confidence in the courts and the rule of law.
How it works:
Lawyers interested in joining the Education Outreach Network may visit MoBar.org/EducationOutreach. Here you can select whether you already have a group to present to or if you need to be matched with one. Examples of groups include community groups, local college classes, or religious organizations.
You will also complete a survey to provide your contact information and the information of the group you wish to present to, or information to help connect with you with a group.
Once you complete the survey, you will be able to access the presentation tool kit, which includes:
- A 45-minute PowerPoint presentation that informs attendees about the history of The Missouri Plan, compares it to other systems, and examines the value of non-partisan judicial selection and retention.
- A shortened 15-minute PowerPoint presentation that walks through the plan’s functions and examines its benefits.
- An example video presentation by Dr. Anthony Simones, director of Citizenship Education at The Missouri Bar.
- An example video presentation with presentation tips by Simones.
- Handouts to provide attendees with additional information.
After the presentation, the presenter will be asked to complete a survey and collect surveys from attendees.
Interested in joining the Education Outreach Network? Click here to get started today!