S.M.I.L.E. (Summer Mentoring in Legal Education) Gwinnett is a program initiated by State Court Judges Pamela South and Joe Iannazzone in 2016. With the assistance of Rebecca Streetman, Program Specialist for Law, Public Safety, Corrections, and Security at South Gwinnett High School, and Dana Pagan, a former teacher at Central Gwinnett High School and Deputy Chief Assistant Solicitor, the program runs for six or seven sessions in June and July each year. We are also proud to announce additional assistance this year from Magistrate Judge Kim Gallant.
Over two years, almost forty students have spent Friday afternoons at the Gwinnett County Justice and Administration Center learning about the legal system from lawyers, judges, law enforcement officers, and other legal staff members.
The program is offered at no cost to students and is staffed by volunteers. Students must provide their own transportation to the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center for the afternoon sessions.
The program was inspired by a program begun by Judge Stacey Hydrick in Dekalb County State Court several years ago.