There will be a steady presence of the law at Lynnwood High School this year. But no one is in trouble – yet.

Rick Essex, a former police officer, and Harriett Cody, a former King County Superior Court judge, are new teachers at the high school. They have traded their handcuffs and gavel for textbooks and pencils in an effort to “give something more back to our communities,” as Essex put it.

“I felt like the change would give me the opportunity to do work that felt more idealistic,” Cody said. “And I felt like I had the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of young people, a difference every day.”

Cody, 58, will teach classes in law and justice, contemporary problems and math. She also is hoping to conduct several mock trials with students this year. She recently earned her teaching certificate from the University of Washington.

The transition from the courtroom to the classroom was a natural move for Cody. Before going to law school, she taught in the Lake Washington and Seattle school districts. But during the women’s liberation movement in the early ’70s, Cody said, she was inspired to go into law.

“I was like many other women of my generation who pursued professional or business careers which were never presented to us as children,” Cody said. “When I graduated from college in 1967, most of the women in my classes were encouraged to be teachers or nurses.”

Throughout her legal career, Cody continued to use her teaching skills, mentoring students and implementing student programs in court. Her husband, Harvey Sadis, a teacher in Renton, also kept Cody close to the classroom as did her daughter, Halley, a student at a private school in Seattle.

With an already full legal career behind her, Cody said she is excited to be back in teaching.

“Being a judge is not happy work. It is prestigious, it is paid much more than teachers make, and is a position with a lot of power and authority,” Cody said. “But the work of a judge is not to change the world. And I still want to do that even at this mature age.”

Essex, 50, said his decision to make a career change was based on similar beliefs.

After serving as a police officer for the University of Washington for almost 19 years, Essex worked as a special education teaching assistant at Edmonds-Woodway High School while earning his teaching certificate from City University. He also has an associates degree in criminal justice.

Essex made the career change, he said, “because I thought I could make a difference with students.”

As a police officer, Essex often taught training courses and received positive feedback from his students. He also often visited his wife as she worked as a German teacher at Snohomish High School.

“She was always amazed that I got along with students that are high school age, and always said I would be a natural,” Essex said.

This year, Essex will teach English and world civilization in Lynnwood High School’s special education program. And while he is “a little nervous,” he said he feels confident his training as a police officer will come in handy.

“A lot of people told me I shouldn’t have many problems with classroom discipline,” Essex said. “I don’t get flustered and after 18 years as a police officer, not many things get me real upset.”