GREENFIELD — The Franklin County Justice Center celebrated the future of law by welcoming middle and high school students from across the county for an inside look at the judicial system on Thursday morning.

More than 100 students from Franklin County Technical School, South Hadley High School, Mohawk Trail Regional School and Great Falls Middle School took a field trip to the Hope Street courthouse in celebration of Law Day. Observed every May 1, Law Day was first proclaimed a holiday in 1958 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower to recognize the importance of the rule of law and its role in protecting justice.

Franklin County Clerk of Courts Benjamin Simanski said Law Day is a celebration of the courthouse and everything that keeps it running, from the judges and clerks to the laws that guide them.

“When we walk through the door of this building, we all come together to trust in a series of principles that allow for our society to move forward and organize in a democratic way, where it doesn’t matter if you have nothing or have everything,” Simanski said. “You get to come to a place and have your dispute resolved by folks that aren’t looking at the emotional aspects.”

Rory Little, a Constitution scholar and professor of law at UC Law San Francisco, spoke on the history of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, as well as the importance of the judicial branch in maintaining the rule of law; the concept that all individuals, organizations, agencies, etc., are subject to and are ruled by the law; and that not even the government and those in power are above it.

“You would have battles in the street and people settling disputes with duels and open warfare. Law has been created as a way to calm down that human emotion,” Little said. “If you didn’t have rule of law, you would have open warfare.”

The judicial branch enforces the rule of law and the Constitution, which is the “supreme law of the land,” Little said. As the next generation of jurors and judges, he said students should read the Constitution to prepare for their eventual days in court defending it, and if they feel it necessary, amend it to fit the needs of the people.

He said the Constitution is not a perfect document and the Founding Fathers were cognizant of that, which is why they created a Bill of Rights and a way for the Constitution to be amended.

“The Constitution is hardly a perfect document. The Constitution has at the beginning a state of purpose, and it says ‘in order to form a more perfect union’ — not to form a perfect union, just more perfect than the one we have,” Little said. “But we still have improvements to make.”

Since it was first ratified in 1787, the Constitution has been amended 27 times. The most recent amendment was made in 1992, and limited the ability of Congress to give itself a pay raise.

To prepare the students for adulthood and to eventually take on the role of managing society and government, Little recommended they not only read the Constitution, but become engaged and informed voters. He said students should ask questions, seek answers and speak up on the issues that matter to them.

“You are the promises of the Constitution,” Little said.

Superior Court Judge John Agostini added that students should embrace jury duty when the time comes. Serving as a juror can teach people about the judicial process while also shaping cases with their decisions.

“I wish I had that experience before I started being a judge 24 years ago; that would have really helped me. I encourage you when you get your jury notice to view this as a right that you have, because that’s what it is: a right to participate in the judicial process,” Agostini said. “I’ve talked to a lot of jurors and I will say, almost uniform, every one of them has valued that experience to sit on the jury to make some of the most important decisions that are made in this country.”

Students were then given a tour of the courthouse, visiting the different clerks’ offices and stopping in a courtroom to watch a few minutes of a trial that was underway.

Students said Thursday’s tour was interesting and informative. They said the courthouse was close to what they expected — somewhat similar to what they have seen on television, but not as dramatic.

“It was really lively in there. They work hard in the courthouse,” said Matan Newcomb, an eighth grader at Mohawk Trail Regional School. “It was interesting and I got to bang the judge’s gavel.”

Reach Madison Schofield at 413-930-4579 or mschofield@recorder.com.