Advertising
In small groups, have students find examples of advertising in print or in media that they think is misleading or objectionable. Each group should prepare a presentation describing how they would control such advertising or arguing why it is protected by the First Amendment.

Bringing Courtrooms into the Classroom
While many Law Day programs include field trips to courthouses, others bring court proceedings to the school. Contact your local judges/magistrates about holding hearings or other legal proceedings in the school auditorium. In Boston, high school Law Day activities include mock environmental hearings in some area schools.

Careers in the Law for Minority Students
The Dade County Bar's Young Lawyers Section sponsored a Pre-Law Minority Careers Conference for Law Day '97. It featured panels of local judges, lawyers and law students representing diverse groups and speaking on their careers and education. Also included were panelists who pursued non-traditional paths with their legal degrees (e.g., one had become a sports agent). Students also participated in mock depositions and trial exercises.

Case Study
The method that lawyers are perhaps all too familiar with from law school can work really well for students. For example, military lawyers from the Air Force's 90th Missile Wing at Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming used case studies effectively with students in the Cheyenne area. To teach due process protections, they asked students to consider what limitations there were on police stopping/arresting young people under different brief fact situations. The same basic situation was established—young people driving at 10:30 at night, but facts are altered slightly in each scenario (headlight broken, etc.)—and students are asked how the new facts affect permissible police action. Case studies like this can teach students the constitutional issues at stake and give them insights into how courts decide. Real cases can be adapted, or hypotheticals created. Students can be divided into small groups to discuss the cases, or discussion can be with the whole class. If actual cases are used, presenters can share the court's opinion—including dissents, if any—with students.

Class Constitution
Elementary students love this activity. After learning about the writing of the Constitution, help students create a class constitution and bill of rights. An alternative that is less complex is to have students create rules for their classroom. Challenge students to analyze hypothetical situations to assess whether or not actions are "constitutional" or "legal". While considering these hypothetical situations, students may well find that their constitution or class rules need "amending."

Classroom Guests
Guests from the legal or law-enforcement groups could be invited to visit classes and make a presentation about freedom and responsibility. Topics could include current proposals to treat juvenile perpetrators of violent crime as adults, curfews for youth or dress codes and gang insignia. Students should be prepared for the guest by reading about the guest's topic and preparing questions to ask the guest.

Classroom Lessons
Brief lessons for elementary and secondary students on such topics as democracy and diversity are already prepared and easily accessible in the Lessons section.

Classroom Rules
Ask younger children to describe a good class. Then ask them to write rules that would help make the class like the one they have described. Make sure they understand why rules are needed to preserve order. Older students could be asked to evaluate the quality of a rule. The following criteria can help them decide which are good rules and which are not. Is the rule fair, easy to understand, and clear regarding expectations? Is it possible to follow, not in conflict with other rules or values, easy to enforce, and will it achieve its purposes? Students could write a statement of why they think the rules should or should not be changed. If they want the rule changed, they should write their own version of the rule.

Conversations with Leaders in the Law
This program invites prominent legal leaders—mayors, governors, state and local legislators and judges—to meet with students in grades 6-12 and discuss the Law Day emphasis on democracy and diversity, and other topics important to showing the rule of law in our country. You can also check out our Online Conversations with Leaders in the Law.

Exploring Diversity and the Law
Have students explore what "diversity" means to them. Ask them to offer definitions and synonyms. Ask what types of diversity exist in our society. Ask which issues of diversity are most critical today in our country? In their community? In their school? Does the law protect the kinds of diversity they're discussing? If so, how? If not, should it? What fundamental values—such as justice, equality, and human dignity—are involved? What, if any, policies should be established to further diversity?

Forums
Forums combine an exciting topic, student research and role playing in an engaging activity. The town-hall meeting format helps students gain greater appreciation for diverse viewpoints on a current or a historical topic. Select a topic that grows out of what students have been studying. Then students take roles representing various positions on the topic and engage in an orderly discussion. Lawyers, judges and other community representatives can participate as guest speakers, advisors or observers of the forum. Possible topics might deal with the balance of freedom and responsibility, such as recent anti-terrorism legislation, control of content on the Internet, drug testing for athletes, or gun control legislation.

Freedom in the News
Students can search newspapers for stories about people exercising freedoms. When they've found a variety of articles, students can create a scrapbook for their classroom. It should include the newspaper article and a brief explanation written by the student stating why the article was selected.

Group Activity
After reviewing with students the meaning of freedom of expression, write on the board this statement from the First Amendment, "Congress shall make no law. . . abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; . . . " Divide students into groups of three to five students and ask whether they think this prohibition on Congress was meant by the Framers to be an absolute bar against any restriction of speech and press. Assign each group to think of examples of speech which they think may not be protected by the First Amendment. Have each group report and discuss their examples. A lawyer could be present to comment on their examples also.

Law Careers on Law Day
Many middle schools and high schools host a Career Day each spring that may coincide with your Law Week programs. Find out at the beginning of the year if and when area schools have a career day program or study a unit on careers. Students can prepare by creating a worksheet of possible questions on how their visitors prepared for their careers, what their jobs are like, and the larger picture of opportunities in the field. (For a full listing of questions, see Law Day Sample Program—Port Washington High School). For more resources, visit our Careers in the Law page.

Law Lessons Geared to High School Seniors
Many bar associations have their own publications/programs for those who are turning 18 or are already adults legally. Check other law-related organizations in your state for handbooks that can be distributed to government classes or other social studies students. Students at this age are eager to learn about how their adult status will affect law-related issues, such as driving and traffic offenses, leasing an apartment, and getting married. (Our LRE directory is a good place to start looking for more information.)

Legal Research
Have students conduct research and prepare a presentation on one of the following free speech cases that apply in a school setting:

Tinker v. Des Moines School District, 393 U.S. 503 (1969)
Bethel School District v. Fraser, 54 U.S.L.W. 5054 (1986)
Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier, 484 U.S. 260 (1988)

Mock Trials
A wide selection of scripts geared to different levels is available from the Law Day Store. Or you may want to write your own, based on a current issue.

Mock Voir Dire
Voir dire is the process for examining prospective jurors in order to determine whether a potential jury member is biased or has any connections with a party to the action or a prospective witness. Examination is oral and conducting a mock dire can teach youth about the jury process. Lawyers can act as prosecutors and defense counsel while students play the roles of prospective jurors.

Moot Court
Divide students into two teams. After studying a unit on law, each group is given a legal point to research. Select several students from each team to be attorneys arguing the issue in front of the judge(s) in a 20-minute moot hearing. Lawyers from the community can advise the teams and debrief the exercise. This activity forces student to think on their feet and put their reasoning skills to the test. Some of the mock trials offered in this planning guide offer moot court alternatives. See especially the mock trials for grades 7-12 created by the Constitutional Rights Foundation.