LAKEWOOD, Ohio — St. Edward senior Gavin Addington wants to be an attorney. First, he needs to learn how they think, and lately, he's been polishing his cross-examination skills for a mock trial.
“It’s really just reading your witness and reading how people are going to respond to the questions you will ask," Addington said.
He’s part of the Legal Eagles program at St. Edward High School, where attorneys who are alumni of the school help students learn to think like a lawyer, and how to question a witness.
Students all have the same case and have to pick their own witnesses and questions based on what’s in the case file. They are working on a case involving determining whether the defendant had his Miranda rights read to him. Senior Jehiel Knight wants to learn how a lawyer frames questions, and how they select witnesses
“The question should be open-ended but the answers should be factual base," Knight said. "So there should be no room for vagueness or open for imagination.”
Advisers said students also have to learn when to object.
“If you ask for hearsay, if you ask for an assumption," said attorney John Duffy, who is an adviser to the program. "If you ask for something that’s not within your personal knowledge, there’s going to be an objection. You have to be on guard for that.”
The program also has drop-in clinics where attorneys offer pro bono, or free, legal advice and services to those who can’t afford an attorney. Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge John Russo is an alum of St. Ed's and a supporter of the Legal Eagles program. He said their services help a wide range of people.
“You’d be amazed on that Saturday morning normally we’re set from 9 to noon and we’re usually there from 9:00 to 3:00 because there are so many people who can’t afford a lawyer," Russo said.
There are two requirements to join Legal Eagles. You need an Ohio law license and to be a St. Ed's alum. You can also qualify if your son is a current student or an alumnus of the school.