Lawyers with Fort Jackson’s Office of the Staff Judge Advocate spoke to C.C. Pinckney Elementary School students about the importance of the law during Law Day, May 1.
According to the American Bar Association, “Law Day is an annual commemoration held on May 1st to celebrate the rule of law and cultivate a deeper understanding of the legal system.”
Maj. Joshua Dimkoff, chief of military law, and Capt. Mandy DiMartino, a legal assistance attorney, spoke the students about the nation’s motto, “E Pluribus Unum” or “Out of many, one.”
The motto is on the Great Seal of the United States and on coins and paper bills among other places. It harkens back to the country being formed from a multitude of states. It also suggests how the country has been a great melting pot of different peoples throughout its history.
“It’s really important to build a foundation of understanding of the law,” Dimkoff said. To teach about the “Constitution itself is important, particularly for the students who has a parent, if not two parents, that have raised their hand voluntarily to swear an oath to defend the Constitution of the United States.”
This was not the first time Dimkoff had taught law. He previously was stationed at the U.S. Military Academy, West Point, New York, “where I taught cadets military and constitutional law.”
“So in many ways, this was an extension, albeit a primary extension of that opportunity,” he added.
The students appreciated the talk, DiMartino said.
“They are always engaged,” she said. “They have the basic concept (of the law), but I do think they get excited once they understand a little more about what we do.
“They always have a million questions, so I think its super beneficial to them, and we just love to see their reaction and their participation.”
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