Dalton High student Kendall Brown
Last fall, Kendall Brown became the first student from Dalton High to attend the State Law Academy. She's also the school's first inductee in the Student Bar of Georgia. Ms. Brown, a 17-year-old junior, attended the academy for three days in Atlanta.
To attend the academy, students must have at least one year experience on Mock Trial. Ms. Brown has been on the Dalton High Mock Trial team since she was a freshman and was nominated by this year’s team sponsor, Ms. Minaco Barry, to attend the academy.
Ms. Brown said even though she was excited and happy to be nominated, she was worried she would be attending the academy with students who had more experience.
“I was kind of excited, but concerned,” she said. “Some people were coming from private schools, and some had already pass the Student Bar Exam. There was more pressure on them than me.”
During the academy, Ms. Brown and the other students took classes on topics discussing objection, hearsay, and witness vs. attorney. They also got to learn about the court system and meet judges and hear of their career experiences.
On the last day of the academy, everyone had to take the Student Bar Exam. To prepare, students were given a binder with a case in it. Ms. Brown said she and her roommate practiced the case and acted it out the night before to be ready for the exam. The test consisted of essays, a case, and multiple choice.
Months after she took the test, Ms. Brown learned she had passed the Student Bar Exam. “I was happy I passed. I didn’t stay up studying for nothing!” Brown said. “The first one to go from a school usually doesn’t pass.”
Ms. Brown attended the State Finals Awards Ceremony for the Georgia Mock Trial Competition at the Gwinnett County Courthouse to receive her certificate and be inducted into the Student Bar of Georgia. She was one of only 18 students inducted in the Class of 2013.
When Ms. Brown graduates next year, she hopes to attend Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia and major in biology with a minor in business.