Karla Velasco of West Liberty High School
is a finalist in The Iowa State Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division “Know Your Constitution” Project. Eighty-six finalists were selected from the more than 500 students across the State of Iowa who participated in the “Know Your Constitution” Project. These finalists will be honored at an Awards Luncheon in Des Moines on January 20, 2023.
From the finalists, five students and their teachers will be chosen by a random drawing to receive scholarship grants and honoraria in recognition of their efforts.
The “Know Your Constitution” Project is designed to enrich students’ understanding and appreciation of the Constitution. The students participating in the project were required to familiarize themselves with Constitution related issues. A quiz was completed by each participating student. An essay question accompanied the quiz. This year’s essay topic involved Constitutional questions concerning student free speech off campus and subsequent school suspension. The question is modelled after recent cases before the United State Supreme Court. “Best Essay” finalists will be posted to the ISBA website, with an overall winner announced during the Awards program.
The Know Your Constitution program is sponsored by The Iowa State Bar Association, with additional funding from the Iowa State Bar Foundation and IOLTA.