Build your understanding of various areas of law and the legal system as you prepare classroom presentations for area high school students. By polishing your ability to explain the law to non-lawyers, Street Law will prepare you to be engaged members of your communities and more effective lawyers.
During the Street Law seminar, we will focus on legal topics of interest to teens (and the general public) such as criminal law and procedure, the First Amendment, Constitutional law, the court system, and practical law (juvenile, consumer, employment, cyber). You will also learn teaching strategies including deliberation, case studies, moot court, mini-mock trials, continuums, snap debate and other engaging methods that will transform boring old civics into experiences your students will remember. Equity issues in pedagogy will be examined and tools to address issues will be presented.
Street Law students will develop lessons and practice teaching (student presentations) in the seminar’s collaborative learning environment.
In addition to the weekly seminar, you will partner with area teachers to share your knowledge in a win-win experience using Street Law lessons developed by you, your classmates, and past Street Law participants.
Course requirements are class participation, written work: lessons for each teaching session and one short research paper, 10 hours of teaching which usually occurs during the normal school days throughout the semester. Law students may work in teams. There are no exams.
By the end of this seminar you will have discovered the meaning of the education phrase “to teach is to learn twice.”
No teaching experience is needed.