NCJ Number
96025
Date Published
1984
Length
39 pages
Annotation
Prepared for Phi Alpha Delta (PAD) law fraternity chapters interested in law-related education programs for youth, this resource manual suggests strategies for starting a program, identifies major implementation concerns, and provides examples of law-related projects.
Abstract
An overview of law-related education notes that many young people today distort or misperceive the functioning of the legal system and need knowledge about their rights, responsibilities, and legal processes that is relevant to today's lifestyles. The benefits for law students of voluntary involvement in law-related education projects are explored. Suggestions on starting a project focus on the kind of activity undertaken, conditions in local schools, contacts with local attorneys, costs, and timing. Organization, communications preparation for working with schools, and recognition of persons contributing to the project are among the topics addressed in a discussion of implementation issues. The following activities that a group could organize are described: speakers that visit classrooms; mock trials involving junior or senior high school students; legal-argument tournaments; field trips to sites such as jails, crime laboratories, courtrooms, and local government hearings; police ride-alongs; student observation of a judge's daily routine; big brother/big sister pairings; poster and essay contests; and law and government Explorer Scouting. Finally, the manual discusses assistance that the PAD Public Service Center can provide.