Erik Stoecker of Oakville recently attended the National Youth Leadership Forum on Law in Washington, D.C.

Having demonstrated academic achievement at Oakville Senior High School and an interest in the legal profession, Stoecker joined about 350 outstanding high school juniors and seniors from across the United States at the Forum on Law.

“Because our legal system plays a vital role in our daily lives, the National Youth Leadership Forum on Law offers students the opportunity to learn directly from partners at law firms, criminal defense attorneys and prosecutors, as well as professors and other experts of the legal profession. This is where the future for many students begins to take shape,” Donna Snyder, executive director of the NYLF, stated in a news release.

The curriculum for the NYLF/LAW is based on actual legal events, which allows its participants to learn from the examples set by attorneys of law and court officials from municipal court to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The process encourages participants to develop perspective and resolve.

Throughout the forum, students examine how court cases often change the legal system.

In the past, NYLF/LAW has visited several law firms and area courthouses, including the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, District of Columbia Superior Court and various county circuit courts.