Nebraska State Bar Foundation

The Lincoln East team and teacher Kevin Rippe celebrate with Justice John M. Gerrard, Nebraska Supreme Court, and Bar Foundation President Kile Johnson.

On January 9, the 20-member team from Lincoln East High School won the 2012 We The People: the Citizen and the Constitution State Championship which was held on the Nebraska Wesleyan University campus in Lincoln. This team will represent Nebraska in the national competition in Washington, D.C., April 28 – May 1. The team is coached by teacher Kevin Rippe.

Taking second place in the competition was the Lincoln Southeast High School-Gold team, which will represent Nebraska if the opportunity to send a second team to the national competition is granted.
Teacher Dave Nebel is the coach for the Lincoln Southeast-Gold team as well as the Lincoln Southeast-Black team that received honorable mention.

Other teams receiving honorable mention in the championship were Lincoln Southwest High School coached by teacher Ryan Salem; Holdrege, coached by teacher Chad Bailey; V.J. & Angela Skutt High School coached by Mary Meyer; and Wilcox-Hildreth High School coached by Ken Meyers. More than 135 students competed in or participated in preparing for the state championship.

At the awards ceremony following the competition, Justice John M. Gerrard, Nebraska Supreme Court, discussed separation of powers of the three branches of government. Gerrard was recently appointment to the Eighth Circuit Federal District Court for the District of Nebraska. All members of the We the People teams were presented medals, and a team award was given to the first and second place teams. Unit awards were given to schools for outstanding performances in each of the six units of We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution course of study.

For more information about the program go to: http://www.nebarfnd.org/we-the-people