Christopher Lambert - 2019 Teacher of the Year
Christopher Lambert - 2019 Teacher of the Year
Franklin High School ~ Reisterstown, Maryland
Mr. Lambert started his journy to law-related education as an attorney in the prestigious law firm of Whiteford, Taylor & Preston in Baltimore from 1983 to 1994. After volunteering as mock trial coach for the Baltimore schools, he felt he could make a greater contribution as a public school teacher. He gave up his successful career and took night and weekend courses to obtain certification as a teacher. While taking the certification classes, he worked as an Education Director and then, Director of Planning and Policy for Baltimore Schools.
For thirty years, Mr. Lambert has been a mock trial coach for three public high schools. Three years ago, he helped create the Franklin Academy of Law to support students' law-related activities and enrich the school's law-related offerings. About thirty students are active in the Academy, preparing for and competing in mock trial and moot court competitions. They competed in Maryland Invitational Moot Court Tournament, and tournaments at Duke University, Princeton, and the Providence Foundation of Law and Leadership in Denver.
Franklin students have won the Maryland Moot Court championship three times, placed second at Princeton, were semi-finalists at Duke, and won seven of ten individual attorney awards this year in Denver. The teams have competed for the past two years at the national Empire mock trial "Southern Showdown" in Atlanta, finishing 6th (2017) and third (2018). The mock trial team finished second in Maryland (2016).
Mr. Lambert has received numerous awards over the years for his work in law-related education. He and his teams have been the subject of articles in numerous local and national publications.
Ms. Shelley Brown, Executive Director for MYLAW/CLREP wrote, "He instills a tremendous love of learning and the law in his students, that quite frankly, is magical to witness." She continues, "His ability to connect with his students, and to teach at levels far beyond the 'typical' classroom, is virtually unparalleled...He is a force in law-related education, and we, as a community of students, educators, legal professional, and parents are privileged to have him in the ranks."