By Samuel Newhouse
Brooklyn Daily Eagle

ADAMS STREET – Inside the impressive, recently renovated urban assembly location at 283 Adams St., there’s a contagious sense of excitement in the air on the parts of both students and teachers.

Although this large building houses three high schools, each has its own section – and for students of the School for Law & Justice (SLJ), founded in 2004, that means much more space than they are accustomed to.

When SLJ opened its doors in 2004 as part of the mayor’s smaller schools initiatives, students were sharing space with an elementary school.

Now, students can roam the halls without having to worry about tripping over younger students, and they are working in improved facilities – such as new, state-of-the-art science laboratories.

“We’re not looking at expanding our programs right now, because we’re already at full capacity with 460 students,� principal Shannon Curran told the Eagle. “This year, we’re looking at sustainability for what we already have.�

Curran started in September at SLJ after six years as an assistant principal for the School for Law & Public Service. She has worked at schools in Bushwick and Washington Heights, and studied at Columbia Teachers’ College and the Bank Street Principals Institute.

Although students at SLJ can study mathematics and science and a variety of subjects, law and justice are the core themes to the education an SLJ student receives. For example, all students get to participate in mock trials and moot courts in the tenth grade’s constitutional law class.

Manhattan-based firm Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP has been one of the leading supporters of SLJ since its founding under principal Elena Karopkin. Students still go the firm’s office for various events, such as the dog-bite trial, in which students go through the motions of a trial and make presentations to lawyers.

Another popular event is the Lunch with Lawyers, where students are invited to have lunch with lawyers and judges who visit the school. Students dress up and participate in a serious conversation with legal professionals.

“Lawyers are here a lot, in terms of being part of the fabric of the school,� Curran said.

Although SLJ has yet to develop a relationship with professional lawyers and law enforcement officials at the District Attorney’s office or at Kings County Supreme Court, which are both down the block from SLJ, Curran said that the school will try to establish a stronger relationship with lawyers there, now that they’re in the neighborhood.

SLJ does not screen students for high achievement. Instead, the school accepts the students who have shown the most interest in the school – by meeting SLJ teachers and students at a booth at the borough-wide high school fair, attending information sessions at SLJ, and even by coming to official Open House days when they can sit in on some classes.

“We accept students who are interested in a small school environment and law-themed programs – the things that are special about SLJ,� Curran said.

At the end of last year, SLJ’s first senior class graduated, and Curran said that every graduating senior was accepted into at least one college – and most of them to more than one.

“We follow them through college,� Curran said. “Its not just about graduating them – it’s about making sure that they matriculate and are successful at college.�

The first “homecoming� event is scheduled for this January, when last year’s graduating seniors will have a chance to meet with this year’s seniors and share their experiences at college.

“It’s all promoting the idea that you’re part of the SLJ family,� Curran said.

SLJ shares its campus with the Urban Assembly Institute of Math & Science for Young Women, run by co-principals Kelly Demonaco and Kiri Soares, and the Academy for Integrated Learning.

© Brooklyn Daily Eagle 2008 All materials posted on BrooklynEagle.com are protected by United States copyright law. Just a reminder, though -- It’s not considered polite to paste the entire story on your blog. Most blogs post a summary or the first paragraph,( 40 words) then post a link to the rest of the story. That helps increase click-throughs for everyone, and minimizes copyright issues. So please keep posting, but not the entire article. arturc at att.net