On September 17, 2010, the Massachusetts Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates (“Mass ABOTA”) will host its third annual James Otis Lecture. The lecture will be held in the Chamber of the Massachusetts House of Representatives and is free and open to all high schools in the Commonwealth. Ben Kahrl, a member of the South Shore Social Studies Supervisors,is on the Board of Advisors. He is a history teacher at Dartmouth High, and I am sure he will be happy to discuss this with you or any member of your staff. Here is a brief review of the program:

Every High School may nominate up to four students. If your school wishes to send more students, others may be identified as alternates. Attendance is limited to 300 students and we will try to accommodate as many schools as we can. Registration will be at noon, and the program will start promptly at 1 p.m. to conclude by 4 p.m..

This year’s topic is “Lincoln and the Law”. The students will hear from two of the leading scholars in the field. Professor Michael Burlingame is the Lynn Distinguished professor of Lincoln Studies at the University of Illinois Springfield, and has published more than a dozen books on Lincoln, including his most recent award winning biography, Lincoln, A Life. Professor Akhil Reed Amar is the Sterling Professor of Law and Politics at Yale Law School, and has published several books and articles on Constitutional law and development, including The Constitution, A Biography. Together, Professor Burlingame and Professor Amar will give the students a new and refreshing look at the man who was arguably the most important president in our history.

The James Otis Lecture was created by Mass ABOTA to help high schools comply with the federal mandate that all publicly funded schools teach a course on the Constitution on or near Constitution Day, September 17. Our program has been so successful that is is now being duplicated in states across the country. The students sit in chairs once occupied by John Adams, Daniel Webster, Lemuel Shaw and others and hear from, and talk to, distinguished educators, jurists, philosophers and scholars in various fields relating to the Constitution and the Rule of Law.

Students from every county in Massachusetts have participated in our first two programs. Schools from as far away as Pittsfield, Great Barrington and even the Islands have taken advantage of this unique program. Those who have participated in our first two programs have come away with a renewed understanding of the great accomplishments and rich history of those who preceded us. As you will see from the flier, our Board of Advisors includes two high school teachers, Kathleen Heitman from Mt. St. Joseph’s and Benjamin Kahrl from Dartmouth High School. I am sure they will be happy to describe the benefits of the program if you need a reference. The Board also includes Professor Thomas O’Connor, History Professor emeritus from Boston College, Associate Justice Robert Cordy of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, and Associate Justice of the Superior Court (Ret.) Julian T. Houston. This is a well-rounded and prestigious group who work very hard to bring thoughtful, relevant programs to our state’s high school students.

We ask that the nominations be typed, if possible, for clarity. An informational flyer and nomination forms can be found on our website, www.massabota.org, where you also can find more information on ABOTA and on our first two programs.

If you have any questions, please feel free to give me a call.

Sincerely,

Christopher A. Duggan Director James Otis Lecture Series American Board of Trial Advocates Massachusetts Chapter

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