LAPLACE — St. Charles Catholic High School junior Alyssa Portillo is participating in the 2018 Louisiana State Bar Association’s Suit Up Program for the Future High School Summer Legal Institute and Intern Program.

The prestigious three-week program gives high school students exposure to law school courses taught by law school professors, legal writing experience and the opportunity to present an oral argument before a panel of judges.

Additionally, Portillo will have the opportunity to shadow an attorney and judge at work.

St. Charles Catholic High School offers two law classes, Law Studies, an Academic level class, and Law and Morality, an Honors course.

Both are taught by Ron Courtade, a retired attorney who has been teaching at SCC for eight years.

His classes are two of SCC’s most highly requested electives.

“My goal is to challenge students to go beyond the letter of the law and learn how to apply the law to real-life situations to make a better world,” Courtade said.

Portillo is scheduled for both classes for the upcoming academic school year.

“I am extremely thankful for Mr. Courtade for finding this program for me because without him I would not have known about the program,” Portillo said.

“Also, I would like to thank Mrs. Bordelon for guiding me with the writing aspect and believing in me. Both of these teachers, along with all of my other teachers, have given me tremendous support throughout my junior year.”

Portillo will also receive a mock legal problem that will serve as the basis of her legal writing assignment for the oral argument to be presented to a panel of judges at the conclusion of the summer program.