The attorneys. For two days in February, the Eastern District Courthouse in Islip echoed with constitutional arguments made by Stewart School fifth graders participating in mock first amendment trails as part of The Constitution Works, a fifth grade annual event.

The fifth grade attorneys argued a timely case pitting free speech against the government's duty to protect its citizens before classmates acting as Supreme Court justices. As in a real constitutional case, the justices questioned the attorneys, deliberated, and delivered their opinions.

For the seventh year in a row, Garden City resident Judith Hepworth located the venue for the exercise and arranged for the students to commandeer several courtrooms. "By fostering this program, Mrs. Hepworth provides our students with lasting tools for understanding the relevance of the Constitution to their own lives and impressed on them the importance of personal involvement in national and current issues," Stewart School Principal Maria Braccia said. "It was an exciting experience that the youngsters will always remember. The faculty and the entire fifth grade class thank Mrs. Hepworth for making the program possible."

The Supreme Court justices. The Constitution Works is a civics program aimed at familiarizing students with the workings of the federal government and involving them in the process of interpreting the Constitution. The program was founded in 1989 by The Constitution Education Foundation to commemorate the bicentennial of George Washington's inauguration.

The legal team.