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An estimated 400 high-school students traveled to Portland State University Thursday to learn about an array of legal topics, from how to deal with cyberbullying to interacting with police officers to the wide-range of career options within the legal profession.

Sponsored by the Classroom Law Project, the Law Day conference initially was held in celebration of national Law Day on May 1. The event now features 18 th workshops that explore legal issues and are presented by members of the profession. Since 1981, more than 20,000 students from Oregon and Southwest Washington have attended the conference.

Jodie Ayura, an attorney with Portland-based Mitchell, Lang & Smith, volunteers her time and expertise to help organize the annual event. She said the industry鈥檚 use of technology, street law and recognition of the 100^th anniversary of women鈥檚 suffrage are among this year鈥檚 offerings.

鈥淲e try to keep the workshops current and also retain the ones that engage the students the most,鈥� said Ayura, who has been on the event鈥檚 planning committee for three years.

Toni Kelich, diversity and inclusion coordinator for the Oregon State Bar, planned the event as a CLP staff member from 2004-07. She now volunteers to help and wanted to ensure that issues related to race and sexual orientation were included in the slate of workshops.

Amie Wexler, with PSU Student Legal Services, also helps organize the event. She sees it as it as away to introduce high-school students to new territory, both literally and figuratively.

鈥淭he students not only learn about legal topics, but they get to come to the PSU campus and see what the college is like,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just great because it gets the students out of their routine and exposes them to something new.鈥�

For Ayura, Law Day also offers a chance聽 to volunteer and work with teens in a way that fits with her work schedule.

鈥淚 like working with the planning committee because I can be involved with students who are developing their attitude toward civics and deciding whether they want to continue with school after graduation,鈥� she said.