During the week on December 14-18, the Honorable Peter R. Palermo Mentorship Program at St. Thomas University College of Law held its kick-off event virtually with Miami Carol City, Sr., High School.

The Honorable Peter R. Palermo Mentorship Program is a community partnership launched in 2013 between Miami Carol City and STU Law. On a weekly basis the law students visit Miami Carol City Law Magnet Program overseen by attorney Asiah Wolfolk-Manning. The law students teach topics ranging from constitutional law to U.S. government and history. The inspiration for the program was Judge Palermo’s belief that the leaders of tomorrow in any profession must know about the Constitution, civics, and the law.

For the kickoff event this year, the Palermo Program’s board members created a debate topic based on the First Amendment. The board conducted a short presentation teaching students about the First Amendment and the test to determine whether the government can suppress one’s speech. The Palermo Program volunteer mentors assisted the high school students with understanding the law, applying the law to the facts, and developing legal arguments. The law magnet students debated their legal arguments before their classmates, and the STU Law mentors.