As some of you know, Mr. Novak’s Criminal Justice class attended a youth law conference at MSU in Troy. We had the opportunity to hear judges share their life stories. But also talk with lawyers about their job responsibilities and their paths to success. Two of the biggest takeaways for many students were: “Work for free; it can help you in the long run,” You get work experience that many jobs look for in the long run, and “Law school is hard; just don’t give up.” many people do and regret it in the long run. We also learned how to argue a case in court, find evidence in texts, and assert our rights. Did you know judges can specialize in only a few types of cases? There are judges who handle only family court or only criminal cases; some might do a combination. One of our favorite parts involved the law dogs. While most people think K-9’s are the only dogs used in legal work, that’s incorrect. Many dogs specialize in all kinds of cases, such as detecting drugs, finding missing persons, locating bombs and gas, and serving as comfort dogs. The comfort dogs, typically American Cocker Spaniels, are energetic but love to be petted and help people. A main factor affecting law dogs is that many have a shorter life spam due to being around and breathing in harmful substances. Law dogs assist us constantly, often in situations too dangerous for humans. They’ve been helping for many years, and they will continue to do so for many more.

I asked of the kids about what their favorite part was.

Evelyn Dempsey~ “The Law Dogs”

Madison Hayter~ ”The Law Dogs”

Kaylee Martin~ “The Law Dogs”

Katie Sholts~ ”The Law Dogs”