This year has brought about many new changes to the Maclay Upper School scene, especially amid the global pandemic we are all facing. This year, Maclay introduced the Parent-in-Residence Faculty Program. This program is a parent partnership that enables parents to volunteer at Maclay and share their work experience in order to “enrich the overall experience for students and families.” One of the courses offered is Legal Issues. 

“I hope to spark a love of law in the Legal Issues class I’ll be teaching this fall,” Mrs. Elizabeth Ricci said. “Students will learn about justice and equality from speakers and through and through practical exercises.” 

Legal Issues is taught by Elizabeth Ricci. Mrs. Ricci and her husband, Neal Rambana, are immigration lawyers in town. They have two daughters who attend Maclay, Paloma, a sophomore, and Belan, a middle schooler. 

“I love hearing from the different legal jobs such as a judge or attorney from local places to other states such as Wisconsin,” senior Stone Foster said. “It’s really cool to hear the different laws in place in other states besides Florida and the problems they deal with.” 

Every period the class has a new guest speaker, usually virtually, who discusses different kinds of laws and legal issues. The guest speakers include lawyers, judges, prosecutors, state attorneys and many more. Every week, students are required to find a current article that includes a legal issue and analyze it, then the class discusses it as a group .  

“Mrs. Ricci has adjusted well as a new teacher despite the limitations brought on by Covid-19,” senior Logan Sundberg said. “Although she teaches virtually, she still has managed to introduce us to new kinds of laws through our guest speakers via Microsoft Teams. So far we have learned about Government, Hospitality, Firearm, Entertainment, Juvenile, Water and Trademark and Patent Laws.” 

Mrs. Ricci has invited guest speakers including State Attorney Jack Campbell, Florida Second Judicial Circuit Judge Nina Ashenafi Richardson, Leon County Deputy Attorney LaShawn Rigginans and Attorney Jason Winn. 

“In light of the passing of the U.S. Supreme Court Justice, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, we were given an assignment to make a resume for her,” Sundberg said. “This assignment allowed the class to better understand who Justice Ginsburg was and the legacy she left in the legal field for women’s rights.”