Get Ready to Celebrate Your Rights

December 15 is Bill of Rights Day. It’s the day to celebrate the individual liberties that our U.S. Constitution protects.

The U.S. Constitution was written in 1787 and ratified in 1789.  Throughout the 227 years of its existence, it has been amended 27 times to meet current needs.

The first 10 amendments were written on December 15, 1791 by James Madison and are known as the Bill of Rights.  The Bill of Rights explains that government power is limited and specifically lists the important rights belonging to each individual in the country. 

As part of this year’s celebration of the anniversary of the Bill of Rights, the United States Courts interviewed students from Miami University of Ohio to have them explain why the Bill of Rights is important to them. Click below to view their responses.

More educational resource tools about Bill of Rights Day are found on the United States Courts website.

We the Students Scholarship Essay Contest

High school students interested in a chance to win scholarship money may want to check out a new essay contest from the Bill of Rights Institute.

We the Students Scholarship competition seeks to help high school students understand the freedom and opportunity that the Constitution offers. Prizes include $5,000 for the winning essay writer and $500 for his or her teacher.

In 800 words or fewer, students must answer the question: “Since you were born, has America moved closer to or further away from the ideals outlined in the Declaration of Independence?”

If video is more your style, there’s a video contest, too.

The deadline to submit an essay or video is December 5, 2014.

Good luck!

Nothing Lost in Translation

Can you imagine walking into a room full of strangers who start talking in a language that you can’t understand? That happens in courtrooms around Ohio every day for people who are limited in their English proficiency, or are deaf or hard of hearing.

The Ohio Supreme Court is committed to ensuring equal access to justice for all who come before the court. We have put in place services to courts to protect rights of individuals with special language needs, including rules and guidelines for the use of court interpreters.

Court certified language interpreters are dedicated men and women who provide interpretation services in thousands of cases each year. They work hard to ensure that nothing gets lost in translation. They become a key connection between witnesses, defendants, lawyers, judges, and other court personnel.

You can hear interpreters explain the important role they play in our judicial system in this video from Court News Ohio.