THE PROPER ROLE OF PUBLIC EDUCATION IS TEACHING CIVICS:

One by one, each of New Hampshire's five Supreme Court justices, clad in black robes and carrying folders, filed past attorneys and onlookers before taking their seats at a large table before them.

And at the same time the justices sat down, so did the more than 100 students who gathered in a temporary courtroom inside Hanover High School's auditorium on Thursday morning to get a firsthand look at how the justice system operates.

The Supreme Court was in Hanover as part of its "On the Road" program, which brings the justices to a new school every year. Hanover High marks the 20th location and the first in the Upper Valley since 2003, when the event came to Dartmouth College.

"I think all of us would say unanimously that doing these On the Road things we consider a highlight of the year," Chief Justice Robert Lynn said. "It's very, very enjoyable for us, and we hope that you get a lot out of it also."

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