Judicial Learning Center
Types of Court Cases
How can one court acquit someone of a crime, while another convicts the person of the same one? It's all because of the differences between civil and criminal trials. An informative resource provides scholars in the field of criminology...
Advocates for Human Rights
Mock Immigration Court
As part of a unit study of immigration, class members participate in a mock Immigration Court activity in which they argue four cases before an immigration judge.
Judicial Learning Center
Your Day in Court
Whether out of choice or necessity, people want to know what will happen on a typical day in court. A helpful lesson walks scholars in the field of criminology through the trial process from opening statements to the final verdict.
PBS
The Supreme Court: Early Civil Rights Cases Facing the Supreme Court
Imagine being an ex-slave after the Civil War and not understanding if you were considered a citizen of the United States. Scholars analyze the early Supreme Court battles in civil rights cases and especially the Fourteenth Amendment....
Curated OER
Your Right to an Attorney
An outstanding instructional activity on a person's right to have attorney's representation in a court case is here for your young learners of the law. Pupils read a lengthy account that spells out the laws regarding legal...
Judicial Learning Center
The Appeal Process
Why doesn't the Supreme Court hear testimony from witnesses? How do they complete an entire proceeding in less than two hours? A helpful lesson guides scholars of criminology through these and other questions by explaining how appeals...
School Improvement in Maryland
Court Proceedings Civil Cases
What's the difference between civil and criminal law? How do the court proceedings differ in these two types of trials? How do the standards of proof differ? Why do these differences exist? As part of their examination of the US court...
Missouri Center for Career Education
Mock Trial Jury Worksheet
What is the role of the judge in a trial? What schooling is required to be a judge? How much do judges typically earn? Class members research the job descriptions, education required, and salaries of law-related occupations including...
Curated OER
Your Own Classroom Court
Students role play a court with lawyers, a judge, jury, and more. In this classroom court lesson plan, students review rules of the law in the judicial system.
Curated OER
Your Own Classroom Court
Create your own classroom court. After studying courtroom proceedings, with a focus on the concept of a trial by a jury of your peers, pupils create a set of classroom rules and develop a procedure for solving conflicts. They then are...
Administrative Office of the US Courts
Cox v. New Hampshire
Staging a debate is a great way to class members to think deeply about issues, especially those related to rights guaranteed by the US Constitution. The Supreme Court case, Cox V. New Hampshire, focuses on the First Amendment's freedom...
Administrative Office of the US Courts
Snyder v. Phelps
Does the Westboro Baptist Church have the protection of the Constitution when protesting military funerals? High schoolers examine the 2011 Supreme Court case of Snyder v. Phelps before comparing the situation to a fictional scenario of...
Miama-Dade County Public Schools
Middle School Mock Trial Competition
Objection! Scholars participate in a mock trial to gain an understanding the ins and outs of court procedures. Using the Jessie Jones v. Palm City court case, they role play each specific part of the trial, learning how courts operate...
Administrative Office of the US Courts
Morse v. Frederick
If you stop a student from expressing views that advocate drug use, are you violating their right to free speech? Use the 2007 Supreme Court case Morse v. Frederick to discuss a nuanced interpretation of the First Amendment. Learners...
State Bar of Texas
Gideon v. Wainwright
How does a trial begin without a lawyer for the defendant? The 1963 Supreme Court case Gideon v. Wainwright serves as the backdrop for the study of the rights of the accused. Scholars use a short video along with paired discussion and...
Judicial Learning Center
Your 4th Amendment Rights
Americans love to learn about their rights, especially those that protect them from the government's power to invade their privacy. Young people are especially engaged by this topic. An informative lesson explores four Supreme Court...
Curated OER
Moot Court
Students research and discuss court cases in preparation for Moot Court. Student attorneys research precedents involving their cases, while student justices research political ideology of Supreme Court Justices. Student attorneys then...
Curated OER
When Court Cases Get Appealed
Students read and analyze two functional documents. They predict outcomes using prior knowledge and documents. Students draw conclusions about how court cases are appealed. They list the parts of a court case.
Administrative Office of the US Courts
Engel v. Vitale
"Is school-sponsored prayer in public schools unconstitutional?" That is the question teams debate as they consider the arguments presented to the Supreme Court in Engel v. Vitale. The attorneys study the provided talking points and...
Curated OER
Mock Trial
Students rewrite a traditional fairy tale to represent the viewpoint of the villain. They participate in a mock trial of that villain in which all regular court participants (judge, jury, defendant, witnesses, plaintiff, etc) play roles.
Curated OER
A Court Case with Real Appeal
Learners analyze the United States' current appellate process, with a critical eye focused on possible inequities within the system. They then write letters to a Manhattan district attorney giving their recommendations on how he should...
Curated OER
Lesson 5: In the Courtroom: Understanding the Players and the Action
Young lawyers put Goldilocks on trial as they develop an understanding of the legal system in the final activity of this five-part series. After learning about key terms relating to litigation, students are assigned roles and reading...
YMCA
Turning Courtrooms into Classrooms
Turn the class into the next episode of Law & Order! Scholars work together to create a mock trial over the course of several weeks before going before a judge for the case performance. They take on different roles, go through...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Plyler v. Doe: Can States Deny Public Benefits to Illegal Immigrants?
Illegal immigration is an ever-changing source of consistent controversy. A reading passage about the rights of undocumented workers and illegal immigrants—and the lack thereof—guides high schoolers into a mock trial activity. Three...