Not in my Backyard: Environmental Law with John McMahon

Urbana Middle School, Urbana, IL

To introduce the students to environmental law and policy, environmental lawyer John McMahon was invited into the classroom for a series of classes and he led the students in a legal dispute role playing exercise. The students created their own dispute in which a landowner on the Illinois River was suing a video game manufacture upstream for illegally disposing of chemical X in the river. The plaintiff claimed the chemical was making him and his family sick and the defendant claimed that the chemical was diluted enough to cause no harm to the defendant. With the help and advice of John McMahon, the student attorneys and jurors were informed of their duties and the case was tried in WaterWorks student court. The plaintiff won the case and the defendant had to reduce his chemical X discharge to the Illinois River.

John McMahon, and environmental lawyer, teaches the students about the law and trials

(Left) The "court reporter" hard at work writing her story; (Right) Jurors learning about their roles

(Left) Studying the law (or cramming for an exam?); (Right) John discusses the how the trial will proceed with the defendant and plaintiff and their council

(Left) Plaintiff's attorney makes an opening argument; (Right) Defendant's attorney makes an opening argument

The plaintiff testifies before the court

The defendant testifies before the court

A juror takes notes before deliberation