The Junior District Attorneys Program

The Junior District Attorneys Program is a crime-prevention and educational program designed to provide middle school students with an overview of the criminal justice system by allowing them to observe its actual operation. The program accepts rising seventh-grade students from selected City of Atlanta and Fulton County public schools. The students meet twice weekly for four weeks during the summer and are

exposed to the various components of the system and introduced to elected and appointed officials of Fulton County. The goal of the program is to provide the students with a basic understanding of the criminal justice system. Upon entry into the program, students are given a navy blazer to wear in order to emphasize the importance of looking and acting professionally in the work place as well as a copy of the Junior District Attorney's Creed. The students are expected to act courteously and professionally throughout the course.

Activities in which students participate include meeting with community leaders, observing trial preparation, viewing actual courtroom proceedings, and participation in a mock trial competition. The mock trial experience allows them to apply what they have learned in the actual courtroom. Other activities involve the completion of workbook activities that teach common legal vocabulary, an explanation of the law, and the realities of typical crimes that effect youth, such as shoplifting.

All students who complete the program are pinned with a Junior District Attorney’s badge and presented with a Certificate of Completion. These symbols of professionalism and recognition are designed to engender self-respect and pride in the students.