| Today, as part of the Law Day ceremonies held at the New
York State Court of Appeals, Chief Judge Judith S. Kaye announced the activation
of the Unified Court System's Public Affairs website (found at www.courts.state.ny.us).
The website is intended to be the cornerstone of the court system's community
and educational outreach initiative and is a key component of the Chief
Judge's overall effort to improve the public's access to and knowledge
of New York's justice system.
The basic concepts behind the educational website were initially conceived
by the Unified Court System's Committee to Promote Public Trust and Confidence
in the Legal System, and the site has developed simultaneously with the
court system's various public outreach programs. The site features information
about how to become involved in the courts' community initiatives, such
as "Senior Citizen Law Days," "Take Your Children to Work Day" and "Local
Court Appreciation Days." The site also provides information about how
to obtain court system publications that relate to topics as diverse as
the jury experience and communications between the courts and the media.
The largest components of the site, however, are the educational pages
that are directed toward students of all grade levels and their teachers,
primarily social studies teachers.
The educational package centers around "Teaching Tools," which were
developed, with the assistance of a Teachers Advisory Group, to provide
information that will help social studies teachers meet the curriculum
requirements mandated by the state social studies curriculum. There are
four Teaching Tools for each of three grade levels - elementary, middle and
high school. The Teaching Tools serve the dual purpose of providing innovative
ways to teach about the New York State court system, while also encouraging
the use of the "Speakers Bureau" and "Court Tours" programs to help bring
students together with judges or other court personnel in an educational
setting and to open court facilities to local communities.
For students' enjoyment, the educational component of the website also
features "Court Classroom" pages. These pages provide age-appropriate activities
to students in each of the three grade levels addressed by the "Teaching
Tools." Special programs found under the Court Classroom icon include the
"Case of the Month," which provides primary sources for students to read,
and the "E-Mail a Judge" program, which allows students to e-mail court-related
questions directly to a judge.
Chief Judge Kaye stated, "On Law Day, in keeping with our celebration
of children, I am delighted to present this comprehensive program that
will surely benefit all citizens, particularly our social studies students.
I believe the successful creation of this website is another fine example
of how New York is taking a leadership role in making courts more responsive
to our communities and in restoring public confidence in the legal system."
Along with a special message from Chief Judge Kaye, the home page of
the website features the following icons:
-
Teaching Tools
-
Court Classroom
-
Speakers Bureau
-
Senior Citizen Law Day
-
History of the Courts
-
Visit a Courthouse
-
Virtual Courthouse Tour
The community and educational outreach initiative may be accessed through
the Public Affairs page of the Unified Court System's web site: www.courts.state.ny.us.
Hard copies of specified materials are also available through the Office
of Court Administration's Office of Public Affairs: (518) 474-7469. |
