Willow Glen Resident

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Lee's passion for law engages his Homestead High students

By Lynn Crocker

Byron Lee keeps a pad of paper by the bedside of his Willow Glen home so he can jot down ideas that sometimes pop into his head as he falls asleep or wakes up.

Those ideas might just find their way into the Homestead High School law instructor's lesson plan, as he looks for creative ways to engage and educate his students.

"Sometimes I'll wake up with some offbeat idea for a class, so I write it down. Later I will develop a lesson plan that makes it come alive," Lee says. "I set real- life scenarios to make kids feel things on an emotional level."

It's his way of framing the world that also earned him this year's 2006 Law-Related Education Teacher of the Year Award from the American Lawyers Auxiliary.

ALA is a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote understanding and appreciation of the law and the American legal system. The local chapter, the Santa Clara County Law Advocates, encouraged Lee to apply for the national award, which was presented to him in Sacramento on Oct. 12.

Chapter member Billie Cole says she met Lee about 10 years ago when he started bringing his students to the courthouse for tours.

"I was always impressed with him because he was so enthusiastic," she says. "I enjoyed watching him work with his students in a classroom setting. He brought law to life for them and gave them scenarios that had practical application in today's world so students could see the law in action."

Lee's interest in the law stretches back to his youth.

"As a kid, I always enjoyed watching legal shows like Perry Mason and People's Court," he says. "My mind works very logically."

Lee views law as the foundation for civilization. It is what gives people a chance to weave the fabric of society in a way that adds organization and reduces chaos, he says.

"Can you imagine life without traffic lights?" he says. "If we didn't have laws, we wouldn't have order. Laws get people to think and be more responsible in their actions."

With his attitude, it's not surprising Lee's law classes are some of the most popular on campus.

"Seventeen years ago I started teaching a class that had 18 students; now there is actually a waiting list to get into my classes," he says.

This year Lee has 107 students enrolled in his law classes. In addition to lectures and practical demonstrations on contract and tort law, and real estate and personal property law, his students hold mock trials, develop and submit new state laws, and hold Socratic debates concerning legal and social topics.

Lee is especially pleased with the participation level shown by students during this year's Socratic debates.

"Of my 107 students, 106 were present that day, and all 106 students participated," he says. "It was amazing. All I did was set up an environment where students could share their thoughts without fear of retribution."

Lee says one of the biggest thrills of his career was taking a group of students to the Santa Clara County Superior Court and being approached by a former student who went on to become a practicing attorney.

"This student had been on this same field trip back when she was in high school," Lee says. "As a teacher it was wonderful for me to go full circle and see the benefit of this type of trip."