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February 28, 2012
ROBERT H. JACKSON CENTER FOUNDER RECEIVES STATE
BAR’S LAW, YOUTH AND CITIZENSHIP AWARD
Gregory L. Peterson of Lakewood has been honored with the 2011
Distinguished Service Award, given by the Law, Youth & Citizenship
Committee of the New York State Bar Association.
Peterson, a partner of Philips Lytle and office leader of the
Chautauqua office, is the founder and president of the Robert H. Jackson
Center. Peterson founded the Center in 2001 to introduce former U.S.
Supreme Court Justice Robert H. Jackson to children and young
adults.
“Greg Peterson works tirelessly to bring Justice
Jackson’s story to life. Under his leadership, the Jackson Center
produces a diverse, high-quality series of educational programs that
appeal to audiences of all ages,” said Richard Bader of Albany
(New Visions Law & Government Program), chair of the Law, Youth
& Citizenship Committee. “He is a most deserving recipient of
this award.”
Each year, Peterson visits local schools to speak about Justice
Jackson and his relevance today. He recently started the Teacher
Initiative Program to educate teachers about Justice Jackson across the
country. As part of the program, Peterson created the Robert H. Jackson
Award for Teaching Justice to recognize outstanding educators who teach
about the concept of justice in classrooms.
The Jackson Center’s annual programs include Law Day;
“Follow the North Star,” which teaches third- and
fourth-grade students about the Underground Railroad; and the Young
Reader Program, which features live lectures from authors on Holocaust
or civil rights issues that are videostreamed to classrooms across New
York. The Center also sponsors a statewide essay contest based on
reading books that highlight humanitarianism, civil rights, racism and
personal bravery.
Since 1990, the Law, Youth and Citizenship Committee has presented
its distinguished service awards to recognize teachers, attorneys and
judges who have made an outstanding contribution to law-related
education and fostered understanding of the values of our legal and
judicial systems.
The 77,000-member New York State Bar Association is the largest
voluntary state bar association in the nation. It was founded in
1876.
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