At-risk children from Marion County and Alachua County learned about overcoming violence Saturday.
UF’s Levin College of Law and the Josiah T. Walls Bar Association held their fifth annual Law and Justice Youth conference for about 70 children between the ages of 8 and 16. This year, there were new breakout sessions where half the students discussed gun violence and the other half discussed overcoming violence, such as cyberbullying.
Meshon Rawls, a UF master legal skills professor, said planning for the event started in Fall.
Chezare Palacios, a UF law student, spoke to the kids about gun control.
“They get to talk to attorneys, cops and judges, and normally they don’t have that kind of access,” the 26-year old said. “With the recent epidemics like Black Lives Matter and LGBT progress, it’s very important to allow the youths to express themselves in a non-suppressed environment.”
Reina Saco, a UF law student, spoke about cyberbullying and gun control.
“What surprised me the most was the response that I got for one of the icebreakers we did,” the 25-year old. “I asked them if they knew where to get a gun and most responded and said, ‘Yeah, but they probably wouldn’t give it to me, though.’”
The gun control workshop excited the kids, said Ray Brady, a civil trial attorney. He told students about the branches of government. The children formed their own thoughts about the positives and negatives of guns, he said.
Amanda Schneider, a UF law student, said she has been cyberbullied in the past.
“I wish I had this help, and I’m glad my law school is doing something great for the community,” the 23-year-old said.
