Friendly Grilling for Cochran

After months as the chief architect of O.J. Simpson’s defense, it was attorney Johnnie L. Cochran Jr.’s turn to sit in the hot seat.

The famed attorney, his Simpson trial in early recess Friday, journeyed to another courtroom, where he took the witness stand and faced a friendly grilling--probably unlike what he might receive from his noted adversary, prosecutor Marcia Clark.

Cochran was at Dorsey High School for the dedication of a wood-paneled, 50-seat courtroom where students hold mock trials and serve as jurors for first-time offenders as part of the Teen Court Program, a county juvenile justice alternative program.

In the packed courtroom, under the glare of media spotlights, Cochran took questions from a panel of students.

“What inspired you to become a lawyer?” asked Eboni Harp, a 14-year-old Dorsey High School student.

The question took Cochran back to his childhood.

“I liked to talk a lot, I like to persuade people,” he said. His mother wanted him to be a doctor, Cochran said, but he knew early on that he wanted to pursue law. Finally, she gave in.

“She told me to ‘try to be the best you can be in whatever you try,’ ” he said.

Cochran’s law firm has adopted Dorsey’s Law and Public Service Magnet, one of three magnet schools in the district specializing in the field of law. He brought several members of his law firm to the dedication, including Carl E. Douglas, a 1973 graduate of Dorsey and a member of the Simpson defense team.

For Cochran, the visit to Dorsey was a chance to give something back to his community.

The Dorsey magnet was funded through the district’s integration program. Since opening last fall, more than 100 students have held town meetings and debated the law with the help of attorneys and law enforcement officials.

The students participate in a teen court program through the county’s juvenile justice system. A panel of six students hears minor juvenile court cases such as petty thefts, minor assaults and trespassing. Under the supervision of a volunteer judge, the students determine guilt or innocence.

“It empowers teen-agers to act like adults,” said David S. Wesley, a judge for the state Bar Court. The California Bar maintains a partnership with Dorsey, helping to set up the courtroom, which has a library and computers.

Dorsey Principal Jerelene Wells said the purpose of the magnet is not to turn out lawyers, but to give students a better sense of the legal system.

“We want students to understand that they have many options in the profession of law,” she said. “We want them to know how to use the system and not feel the system is against them.”

Cochran emphasized the same message, urging students to learn how to compete and to make sure they are prepared for life’s challenges. “You have to work hard to be successful,” he said. The attorney made little reference to the Simpson trial that has made him famous, but he did promise to take some of the students to see the courtroom where he has spent so many months.

Student Ingrid Lissett Mendez asked him if, as an African American attorney, he had a special obligation to help minorities.

Cochran said he owed a special debt to his community.

“The Lord blessed you and you have to put something back,” he said.