Ohio high school students thinking about pursuing a legal career recently participated in Court Camp in Dayton. The Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas hosted the second annual camp for nine students from the Dayton Early College Academy.

Court Camp is a weeklong immersion program designed to familiarize interested students with the courts and the legal system. Dayton Early College Academy is a charter high school focused on preparing urban students to be the first in their families to go to college.

At Court Camp, the students learned about the Ohio criminal justice system by meeting judges, attorneys, law enforcement officers, and other court personnel. The students also toured the Montgomery County Courthouse, Juvenile Justice Center, Probation Department, Pretrial Services, and a large law firm. Participants observed a live felony criminal docket, a misdemeanor criminal and traffic docket and heard a presentation from the Miami Valley Regional Crime Lab.

“It is a really great program. We are making Court Camp a little bit more interesting this year to give the students a broader view of the criminal justice system from investigation to arrest to conviction,” said Vanessa Carter, Court Camp’s organizer.

The students said they learned more than just about the judicial system and the rule of law.

“During the court camp, not only did I learn about different careers in the legal field but also about myself,” student Monet Scroggins said.“I learned that I really want to be an attorney and I can truly be successful at it. I came to this realization through the discussions that we had with several professionals who are excellent at what they do.”

The theme for Court Camp 2012 is “A Road Map to Criminal Justice.” The students were given a certificate of completion and a memento representative of their court camp experience.

“I appreciate the great opportunity that was given to me,” student DarRion Berry said.“ Now, I am able to say I’m knowledgeable about our justice system, and I also have faith in the justice system.”

Ohio Supreme Court Justice Yvette McGee Brown; Judge Barbara P. Gorman of the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas; Charles Grove, assistant public defender for Montgomery County; and Sandy Hunt of the Montgomery County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office participated in this year’s program.