Teaching Litigation to New Generations

Posted by Heriberto Fuentes

Summer afternoons at my Grandfather's were a time for education. It was sitting in front of the TV after lunch that I learned me first lessons about our legal system from the Honorable Judge Joseph Wapner.
This summer afternoon my children are learning those same lessons. “People's Court” has been a daytime staple for 29 years and has taught several generations of Americans about what to expect from small claims court, while entertaining us. Judges' Wapner, Ed Koch, Jerry Sheindlin and Marilyn Millian have meted out justice by binding arbitration that mimics our small claims courts and has kept pace with the changes in maximum claims. Rising from 1500 dollars in 1981 to 7500 dollars in 2009. The rising stakes have led to more eccentric and amusing litigants with increasingly bizarre cases. The first reality court show has stood the test of time and technology. I had to make constant adjustments to the rabbit ears under the gaze of my grandfather to obtain the best picture, since we have Illinois direct star tv all my kids need to do is hit a button and revel in full HD. The fun, the object lessons and the civics education remain the same after three decades. My children and I get to share the same summer afternoons that I did with my Grandfather watching “People's Court”.