Year 1, semester 1, lesson 4 sample
This sample was completed by an 8th grade student.
This writing assignment was completed after the student completed the pre-lecture reading. In other words, the student had not yet engaged with the lecture materials, which is where the deeper legal analysis is presented.
Everything in our materials is designed to set the student up for success.
The course requires diligence but it also rewards hard work.
The first year of American Law I, Foundations of American Law, builds over time. By the end of the year all of the lessons come together to create a comprehensive framework. By the final assignment, students are calling upon everything they have learned to engage in applied legal analysis and legal writing.
Students don’t just learn about the law, they are being taught how to think — and write — like lawyers.
Year 1, semester 1, lesson 5 Sample
This sample was completed by a 10th grade student.
These questions are a part of the pre-reading for the Theories of Criminal Punishment & beginning of the Just Mercy novel study.
The lesson is centered on one question: what is the purpose of punishment?
Each concept begins with assigned reading and videos, which assume no prior knowledge.
Concepts are not watered down, but are written in a way to make them accessible.
Complex legal theories and black letter law are scaffolded to support student success.
The second semester of the course expands on the themes of the philosophical underpinnings of the criminal justice system. Students learn about the concept of stakeholders and have the option to read public policy considerations that inform legal practice.
Case law and model rules form the backbone of legal analysis as the students write their first motion, based on all of the principles they have learned. Arguments about fairness and justice are grounded firmly within the confines of the legal system as it is designed to function.
This isn’t a civics course. It’s law school before law school.
Deep legal knowledge is certain, inspiration is likely.
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