Minneapolis (3-13-06): -- Educating and inspiring teens about the law is the goal of the tenth annual Legal Expo, which will be held Thursday, March 16 at the Earle Brown Heritage Center.  This free event, sponsored annually by the Hennepin County and Ramsey County Bar Associations, will feature volunteer attorneys, law enforcement officers, and other legal professionals leading educational sessions designed for high school students.

Over 800 students and teachers from more than 15 area schools––traditional and non-traditional, public and private––have registered to attend this year’s Legal Expo. Most students will come from the metro area, but others plan to travel from as far as Aitkin, Minnesota.  Teachers throughout the area have responded enthusiastically to the Legal Expo because of its ability to make the legal system “come to life” for their classes.

Officers from the St. Paul and New Hope Police Departments’ Canine Units will open the program, introducing students to the role of police dogs in law enforcement.  Then, each hour throughout the morning, students can choose from three concurrent seminars.  Students will actively participate in discussions on: Crime Scene Investigation in the Real World; The Death Penalty; Understanding Credit and Consumer Fraud; Parties, Drugs and Alcohol; Legal Careers; Internet Law; Judges and Juries, and School Rules: What Are Your Rights?

The Hennepin County Bar Association also provides a wide range of resources for the community and for youth, including a speakers bureau of volunteer attorneys; TEL-LAW, a free phone-bank of legal messages; Legal Stuff -- a 64 page booklet for teens; Lawyer Referral and Information Services; and other programs of public education and legal service.