Cobb County courtroom becomes a classroom as 4th graders learn the justice system firsthand

Instead of math worksheets and spelling tests, a group of fourth graders recently spent the day making opening statements, questioning evidence, and debating a verdict inside a real Cobb County courtroom.

The students participated in Cobb County Superior Court's Courtroom to Classroom program, an initiative that introduces elementary students to the judicial system through a mock trial led by Chief Judge Anne Harris.

Designed to make the legal process less intimidating and more accessible, the program gives students the opportunity to serve as prosecutors, defense attorneys, and jurors while learning how the justice system works.

"We want them to develop an appreciation for it. We want to take away some of the mystique of, you know, court and judges. We want them to understand that this is, you know, part of real life," Harris said.

Students eagerly stepped into their assigned roles, presenting arguments and working to persuade their classmates during the fictional case.

"It was very fun, like, going up there and trying to persuade people to, like, believe us," said student Jane Williams, who helped prosecute the case.

Classmate Grayson served as the defense attorney.

Once testimony concluded, the student jurors moved into deliberations, where deciding the verdict proved more challenging than many expected.

For some students, the experience sparked an interest in careers they had never previously considered.

"We, in the end, did not, you know, like, win the case. However, it was very fun ... And I think after this, I do like to consider being a lawyer more," Williams said.

"I've never considered being a lawyer before, but it is super fun. So, I might consider it," student Madison Pierce said.

Harris said inspiring that kind of curiosity is one of the program's primary goals.

"You hope to expose them to the criminal justice system in a good way. Not a bad way," she said.

Although the trial itself was fictional, students said the lessons they learned about critical thinking, listening to different perspectives, and working together were real.

"I really enjoyed visiting the courtroom," Grayson said.

"I learned that you have to think ... really, really hard ... and you have to compromise," Madison said.

After the verdict was announced, students continued to ask Harris questions about the courtroom, the legal profession, and how the justice system operates.

"I love to see the extent to which they engage with the process, because it's critical that our young people be invested in the process. It's critical because they're the leaders of tomorrow," Harris said.

By transforming a courtroom into a classroom, Harris hopes students leave with more than a lesson in law. She hopes they gain confidence to ask questions, think critically, and see the justice system as something they can understand—and perhaps one day become part of.