Between February 28 and March 11, 2005, judges, attorneys, and law students visited 53 Sacramento-area classrooms to provoke discussion about the U.S. Constitution and government. More than twenty state and federal judges, about forty attorneys, and several law students volunteered their time at seven local high schools. The Japanese American internment during World War II provided this year's topic.

The curriculum, designed by one of the Operation Protect and Defend subcommittees, included reading excerpts from the following materials: Justice at War by Peter Irons; the autobiography of Norris Poulson, who was a member of the California legislature in January 1942; an article by Michele Malkin entitled "Racial Profiling: A Matter of Survival;" and several court decisions regarding the internment.

Students responded to questions designed to stimulate a discussion of the constitutional issues presented by the internment. For example, they were asked, "Did people living here in California have a reason to fear attack from the Japanese?" "Why was a curfew and then internment deemed necessary at the time?" "How do you think you would have responded?" and "What do you think about the complaints of some Muslims here in Sacramento after the FBI visited their mosques just after 9/11?" These questions and others stimulated discussion of constitutional issues with the students.

From my point of view, the students were enthusiastic and engaged. They grasped the fundamental issues at stake and provided their personal insights and experiences. They seemed to appreciate the fact that their "visitors" thought enough of the subject matter to personally deliver the topics to them. The judge/lawyer/law student visitors were in turn enriched by the experience. It was one of those win-win situations.

This year was the third year of Operation Protect and Defend. The 2005 program visited the following schools: Hiram Johnson High School; Kennedy High School; Luther Burbank High School; McClatchy High School; Rio Americano High School; Sacramento High School; and Valley High School.

The judges, lawyers and law students who visited the schools were: Roland Candee, Patty Reeves, Troy Nunley, Clayton Tanaka, Jared Walker, Joseph Chavez, Sharon Everett, Wanda Rouzan, Alf Brandt, Sarah Ream, Charles Kobayashi, Michael Levy, Raoul Thorbourne, Heather Kenney, Richard Gilmour, Maggy Krell, Shelleyanne Chang, Geoff Margolis, David Burkett, Jay Allen Eisen, Marty Carr, Garth Rosengren, Christy Kalb, Allen Sumner, Jamie Forbes, Tim Naccarato, Bruce Timm, Peter Helfer, Keith Staten, Gavin McGrane, Ward Campbell, Marlene Hertoghe, Laura Ferri, Morrison England, Kymberly Smith, Dina Cataldo, Rick Lewkowitz, Jamie Allen, Tanisha Irby-Worthy, Donald Heller, Joanne Lowe, David Abbott, Kim Sayers-Fay, Shea Murphy, Dee Brown, John Mendez, James Mcfetridge, Judy Hersher, Deidre Johnson, Kathryn Turner, Heather Candy, David DeAlba, Heather Dauler, Loren McMaster, Lisbeth Smith, Emily Vasquez, Lawrence Brown, Breann Handley, Raymond Cadei, Antonia G. Darling, Gary Matt, Natasha Cwalina, Brian Van Camp, Scott Harman, Mitchell Ostwald, Cheryl Meegan, J Smith, Mike Garcia, Judy Ford, Frank Damrell, Cynthia Cook, James Kachmar, Teri Block, Susan Hayden, Garth Rosengren, Marty Carr, Mike Kenny, Donna Tamanaha, Chris Krueger, Chelsea Olson, and Catherine Gunderson.

Operation Protect and Defend is made up of several phases. First, during the Dialogue on America, the teams of lawyers, judges, and law students visit the classrooms. Next, the students may enter essays into a contest. This year the project will be awarding nine cash awards ranging from $250 to $1,000. Finally, the essayists and others are recognized at an annual dinner. This year's dinner is scheduled for May 4th.