West Allis Central High School Visits Wisconsin Supreme Court

Madison, Wisconsin - November 30, 1999

Thirty students from West Allis Central High School traveled to Madison today to watch a Supreme Court oral argument at 10:45 a.m. and meet with Justice Ann Walsh Bradley over the noon hour. The exercise was made possible by a program called Court with Class, which is sponsored by the Wisconsin Supreme Court and the State Bar of Wisconsin.

The students watched a case in which the Wisconsin Supreme Court will decide whether the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) subjects an employer’s "agent" (generally a supervisor or manager) to individual liability for discrimination. The circuit court (in Milwaukee County) said it does not, but the Court of Appeals reversed that judgment.

After the one-hour hearing, the class met with Bradley for a history lesson and a question and answer session.

Court with Class has won two national awards since its inception three years ago. The program’s aim is to enrich the high school civics curriculum by bringing high school students from around the state to watch a Supreme Court hearing and meet with a justice. Prior to the field trips, teachers receive a variety of teaching materials from the Supreme Court and the State Bar of Wisconsin.

The program brings a total of approximately 1,000 high school students to the Supreme Court during each Court term (September - June).

For more information contact:
Amanda Todd
Court Information Officer
(608) 264-6256

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