Miller YMCA Delegate Courtney Brousseau Elected Youth & Government Supreme Court Chief Justice

NEWBURY PARK, Calif. - Nov. 25, 2014 - PRLog -- At only 17, Newbury Park High School senior Courtney Brousseau is on his way to becoming a Supreme Court Chief Justice. Bruousseau was elected YMCA California Youth & Government’s Chief Justice of the Supreme Court for 2014-15. Brousseau was elected at a California Youth & Government conference earlier this month at Camp Roberts Military Base near Paso Robles.

         YMCA Youth & Government is a Model Legislature Court program for ninth through 12 graders. Participants meet weekly at local YMCAs throughout the state to learn about the legislative process and draft bills. This nine-month program enables students to experience the California law-making process first hand. Almost 3,000 delegates from throughout California come each year to Camp Roberts to elect leaders who will then oversee the annual Model Legislature and Court Conference in Sacramento in February. There, state government officials step aside and teen delegates take over the historic halls, chambers and offices of the State Capitol, Supreme Court and Governor's Office.

         As part of the election process at Camp Roberts, Brousseau participated in speeches in front of the California delegates. He was one of two finalists. Delegates then participated in a caucus-style vote where Brousseau was elected Chief Justice.

         “This is one of the highest positions to hold in the Youth & Government Model Legislature & Court program,” says Jessica Bringelson, teen director at the Miller Y. “Courtney has been working really hard campaigning for the position. He has traveled to other YMCA delegations and posted pages on social media.”

         Brousseau says that Youth & Government is more than just about politics. “It’s about making sure the next generation is knowledgeable and informed and learning how to change something that might be wrong,” says Brousseau. “It’s given me opportunities I wouldn’t have such as speaking before 3,000 of my peers, observing lawyers and how they practice law and establishing a statewide network of amazing friends. I’ve had the opportunity to attend national conferences and take on leadership roles, which will be helpful in the future.”

         As Chief Justice, Brousseau will preside over the Supreme Court sessions at the February Sacramento conference where delegates will work to emulate the California Supreme Court and will try two cases—one civil and one criminal. He will also oversee 450 delegates who are in the court program and this summer, lead a group of 25 delegates representing California in a national judicial competition in July.

         Brousseau, has participated YMCA programs since he attended Sequoia Middle School when he was part of YMCA’s Model United Nations program. “We have watched Courtney grow up from when he started this program with us in 8th grade,” says Bringelson. “We could not be more proud of him and his accomplishments.”

         For more information, go to www.millerymcayng.org or contact Jessica Bringelson, 805-480-0309, ext. 104, jbringelson@millerymca.org. Other Youth & Government delegations are forming at Triunfo YMCA (serving Oak Park, Agoura Hills and Westlake Village) 818-707-9622 and the Conejo Valley YMCA (serving Thousand Oaks, Moorpark and Santa Rosa Valley), 805-523-7613.