High School Mock Trial

• Regional Competitions, February 25
• State Competition, March 9-10

Project Citizen

• Training, March 20
  In-School Hearings, Now – April 13

Street Law

• Training, March 22

Cynthia H. Cothran
LRE Director
ccothran@scbar.org
Oversees all programs

Marian Kirk
LRE Program Coordinator
mkirk@scbar.org
Supports all programs and competitions

Donald Lanier
LRE Manager
dlanier@scbar.org
Supports Community Works, Street Law, Foundations of Democracy, School Resource Officer Trainings, We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution, Youth Court

Welcome to the 13th edition of LRE News! We hope this newsletter has become a useful tool to you. It was created to provide information on LRE news, programs and events for those involved with LRE programs. Suggestions and feedback are always welcome.

LRE is a “one-stop” shop for teachers, SROs, pre-service teachers and attorneys. Professional development trainings are provided throughout the year on programs such as:

• We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution;
• We the People: Project Citizen;
• Community Works;
• Street Law;
• Mock Trial;
• Foundations of Democracy;
• LawForKids.org; and
• Law for Teachers.

2012 Law Day Theme Announced: No Courts, No Justice, No Freedom
The 2012 Law Day theme has been selected. Please be sure to visit www.lawday.org in the coming months for more details on the theme, as well as downloadable artwork, lesson plans, resources, the Dialogue and more.

The 2012 Law Day theme provides us with an opportunity to understand the court system. “All of us must have and protect our right and our freedom to use courtrooms when we need to. That courtroom must be open to protect families. That courtroom must be open to validate and protect contracts for business. That courtroom must be open to keep the wheels of justice turning. That courtroom must be open to defend our individual rights to prove again and again that we continue to be a free society. All of that takes more money … not less and less money for our courts.”  —American Bar Association President Wm. T. (Bill) Robinson III

2012 Training Catalog
The 2012 Law Related Education Training Catalog is available.

Law for Teachers—FREE ONLINE TRAININGS AVAILABLE ANY TIME!
Law for Teachers is a program designed to give teachers an informative and practical guide to the legal issues they face every day in the classroom. The creation of this unique training was a result of multiple requests submitted by teachers at other law related education trainings for information on how the laws applied to them specifically in their profession. The presenters provide ample information to teachers in a manner that a layperson can understand. The discussions are not specific to any region of the state, but are based on state laws as a whole. The content of the online webinars includes discussions on:

•      Legal foundations;
•      Teacher contracts and due process rights;
•      Disciplinary action on educator certificates;
•      Tort liability;
•      Harassment;
•      Title IV:
•      Copyright issues (print, electronic, video and music);
•      First Amendment issues;
•      FERPA;
•      Privacy issues;
•      PPRA;
•      General education laws;
•      Student discipline;
•      Special education; and
•      Special education discipline.

NEW! Law for Young Adults (FREE Online Resource)
Turning 18 is an important milestone in a young person’s life. With that comes many exciting opportunities and responsibilities, from voting, renting an apartment, opening a credit card, buying a car, etc., all without a parent’s consent. Youth turning 18 will be making important decisions about their lives and need to be careful as there can be long-term consequences to many decisions.

Turning 18 means someone becomes legally an adult, and although they may, their parents no longer have to support them. At age 18, an individual may be responsible for paying their own income taxes and can even be sued. Also at age 18, if a crime is committed, that individual will not have the protection of the juvenile court; the stakes are higher, and the consequence could be jail time.

This electronic resource was developed to provide some guidance on the new responsibilities and consequences that apply to 18-year-olds. Keep in mind that laws are constantly subject to change, and if you have a specific legal problem, you may want to consult an attorney. Click here to go to the new Law for Young Adults page with more than 30 topics!

LRE Awards and Recognitions
Each year, one middle school and one high school are named the LRE School of the Year. Winners are chosen based on their implementation of LRE curricula and/or programs and commitment to the principles of LRE. Each school receives a scholarship of $2,500 for use as it wishes. One middle school teacher and one high school teacher are also recognized with the LRE Teacher of the Year Award based on their implementation of LRE curricula and/or programs and commitment to the principles of LRE. Each of these teachers receives an award of $500 for use as they wish.
High school seniors who have participated in mock trial or either of the We the People programs have the opportunity to apply for a one-time $500 scholarship to assist with higher education costs.
An LRE Citizen of the Year is selected based on his/her commitment to LRE programs and goals, and this recipient will also receive $500. LRE also recognizes one LRE Attorney of the Year who is recognized in front of his/her peers at the annual House of Delegates meeting.
The winners of the statewide High School Mock Trial Competition and the We the People competition receive some financial assistance to compete in the national competitions.
The winner of the statewide Project Citizen showcase has its portfolio displayed at the National Conference of State Legislators and is awarded a recognition of excellence.
All applications are to be postmarked no later than March 16, 2012.
For applications, click here.

Middle School Mock Trial Results
Congratulations to the 2011 State Champion, Johnsonville Middle School and first runner-up, Forestbrook Middle School. Many, many thanks to the following dedicated teachers and attorneys coaches who generously gave their time and energy to mentor students who participated in the 2011 Middle School Mock Trial program.

Upcoming Competition Dates
We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution

We the People: Project Citizen

High School Mock Trial

(click here to learn more)

Description: Looking for a curriculum that teaches communication and problem solving skills? Community Works is a program targeting middle and high school students that can be implemented in the classroom, after school or in most any other setting. It provides students with a practical understanding of crime and crime prevention that is useful in their everyday lives. It can function as a stand-alone program, or it can be incorporated into a classroom curriculum. The curriculum includes 31 highly interactive session, involves community resource people and includes a service learning/action project component, if desired. This curriculum not only teaches teens to be resources for each other, but to interact positively with community members.

What's New: A one-day training is scheduled for May 16, 2012. Click here to learn more.

(click here to learn more)

Description: Elementary Mock Trial is an excellent way to begin to introduce the concepts of justice and the judiciary through fairy tale trials. We all know the stories of Goldilocks, Paul Bunyan, The Three Little Pigs and others. Through materials from the American Bar Association supplied to elementary teachers by the South Carolina Bar LRE Division, upper elementary students can learn about the courts in an interactive fashion. For the majority of the trials, there are even puppets available for checkout from the S.C. Bar LRE Division.

What's New: The LRE Division has added many new puppets and cases to choose from when implementing Elementary Mock Trial. The Division will come to schools that implement the program to videotape the students presenting the mock trial cases. For more information about the program, to review cases and choose puppets, click here.

(click here to learn more)

Description: Foundations of Democracy is a character education curriculum created by the Center for Civic Education. The curriculum is available for grades K-12 and addresses authority, responsibility, privacy and justice. The Center for Civic Education's mission is "to promote an enlightened and responsible citizenry, committed to democratic principles and actively engaged in the practice of democracy in the United States and other countries."  Students in South Carolina can benefit from this mission by becoming enlightened and active, responsible citizens while impacting the state through the implementation of this program. Through participation in this program, students will increase their basic skills of listening, speaking, writing, reading, problem analysis and awareness of the Constitution and how it is applicable to their daily lives.

What's New: A one-day training is planned for July 31, 2012. Interested in starting this program at your school? Click here for dates and registration information.

(click here to learn more)

Description: The High School Mock Trial Program is a hands-on exercise in learning about due process. It is most often conducted as an extracurricular activity but can also be incorporated into law, forensics or public speaking classes.

What's New: High School Mock Trial competitions are right around the corner. Forty-six teams will compete in the regional competitions (Charleston, Columbia, Conway and Greenville), with 12 teams advancing to the state competition in Columbia March 9-10, 2012. The team that wins the state championship round will represent South Carolina at the National High School Mock Trial competition scheduled for May 3-6, 2012, in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Competition Dates for 2012:

If you are interested in starting a Mock Trial team at your school, FREE trainings are available online here, and an in-person training will be available September 13, 2012.

(click here to learn more)

Do your students have questions? Do they need answers? Don’t let the students go through life without knowing about this fabulous online program for kids. LawForKids.org is a Web site dedicated to teaching children about the law. It was created with the specific goal of educating South Carolina’s youth, parents, communities and schools about the law and to encourage lawful behavior. The site includes an interactive forum through which students may anonymously ask questions about the law and receive correct, factual information from volunteer attorneys.

Access to the Web site is free and adapted for South Carolina youth. There are quizzes, interactive games, cartoons, comics, law documents, links to other law related education Web sites and a searchable database on South Carolina law and how it affects young people. Students will find the Web site helpful for research projects and homework assignments, but can also use the site to play games and hear first-hand from their peers about law related incidents and how to best handle various situations. To access the Web site, visit www.LawForKids.org. Click “other states” in the top right corner of the home page, and then select South Carolina on the U.S. map. Users will then have the option of making the South Carolina site their permanent home page.

(click here to learn more)

Description: The Middle School Mock Trial Program is a hands-on exercise in learning about due process. It is a team activity program that is most often conducted as an extracurricular activity, but can also be incorporated into law, forensics or public speaking classes.

What's New: If you thought that Mock Trial was only for high school, then you thought wrong! The 2011 Middle School Mock Trial season just came to a close with a total of 36 schools participating. Johnsonville Middle School won its third state Mock Trial competition on December 10. Participating students included Preston Cook, Austin Eaddy, Sara Graham, Breelyn Hannah, Amber Huggins, Heather Huggins, Briley Lawrimore, Ethan Powell, Madison Wall, Zachary Wall and Tanner Wise. The teacher coach was Donna Graham and attorney coach was Holly Wall.

Forestbrook Middle School was the runner-up. Participating students included Holley Black, Kevin Durrick, Katie Edmonds, Sierra Ellison, Erin Emiroglu, Calie Glasgow, Deanna Iannone, Ashley Jones, Jaida Lankford, Aly Loyd, Deanna Mason, Jordan Moreno, Katelyn Price, Hannah Rahner, Cinthia Zavala Ramos, Michael Riga, Charlotte Smith, Sophie Stevanovich, Lauren Stevens, Peyton Sutley, Jared Tompkins, James Vitale and LJ Watts. Their teacher coaches were Stephanie Necessary, Tess Vega Dale, Joe Boswell and Lisa Aglietti. Their attorney coaches were Gene Vaught, Candice Lively and Scott Hucks.

Students presented the plaintiff and defense sides of a fictitious case before a panel of local volunteer lawyers. Additionally, students filled the roles of witnesses and bailiff. Each team was judged on its presentation skills, rather than the legal merits of the case.

If you are is interested in starting a Mock Trial team at your school, FREE trainings are available online here, and an in-person training will be available September 13, 2012.

(click here to learn more)

Description: We the People: Project Citizen is a curricular program for elementary, middle and high school students as well as youth groups that promotes competent and responsible participation in local and state government. The program helps young people learn how to monitor and influence public policy (a school rule or state law). In the process, they develop support for democratic values and principles, tolerance and feelings of political efficacy.

What's New: The 2012 showcase of all completed Project Citizen entries is scheduled for April 20, 2012. In-school presentation dates can be scheduled any time during the school year leading up to the April 20 showcase. Judging of in-school presentations can be arranged with Cynthia H. Cothran at (803) 252-5139 or ccothran@scbar.org.

Competition Date for 2012:

Interested in starting this program at your school? Click here for dates and registration information for trainings.

(click here to learn more)

Description: Street Law is a course in practical law. It was designed to provide students with knowledge of what to do when confronted with a legal problem. Information is presented through student-centered activities that enable teens to develop as effective citizens.  Most often, Street Law, is taught as a one-semester social studies elective or in place of a government course. The curriculum can also be used by teachers of a practical business law class. The curriculum is correlated to the state standards and is on the SC textbook adopted list.  The curriculum includes a teacher's manual as well as test banks.

What's New: A one-day training will be held in March 22 and July 12, 2012. Interested in starting this program at your school? Click here for dates and registration information.

(click here to learn more)

Description: We the People is an in-depth study of American history with an emphasis on understanding the formation of the Constitution and its interpretation throughout history. Students compete in a mock congressional hearing and discuss critical issues regarding American government, the founding fathers and current events based on a constitutional perspective.

What's New: The 2012 Middle and High School competitions took place January 5 at Columbia College. A total of 11 teams competed. The winner was Scholars Academy, which marked its fourth state championship title. Scholars Academy students will represent South Carolina at the national competition April 27-May 1 in Washington, DC. Click here to watch news coverage of the winning team.

Scholars Academy students were Nathan Beasley, Michael Crumpler, Alex Garland, Alyssa Lundy, Sarah Martin, Emily Rhorick, Tyler Rhorick, Jake Sheehan, Sean Thompson and Peter Yan. Their teacher coach was Georgia Holley.

The second, third and fourth place teams (Wilson High School, Carolina Forest High School and Wando High School Team 2, respectively) are invited to represent South Carolina at the first Battle of the Carolinas We the People competition taking place March 30, 2012, in Charlotte, NC. For teachers interested in the program, there will be multiple training dates released for 2012.

Click here for dates and registration information.

“Great workshop! I can’t wait to use this program in my classroom.”  —Teacher Participant

“Thanks for putting together such a great competition … we enjoyed ourselves very much.” —JJ Iagulli, Carolina Forest High School

(click here to learn more)

Description: Do you know what one of the fastest growing youth diversion programs in the nation is? The answer is Youth Court. There are 35 separate youth courts serving many different communities and schools throughout South Carolina. In communities, Youth Court is a juvenile diversion option intended to keep young people with no criminal record out of the juvenile justice system, allowing them a second chance to maintain their clean juvenile records. In schools, Youth Court can handle actual criminal offenses in which the school resource officer is involved, or it can be inserted into the discipline code to handle violations of school rules. Youth Court functions like a traditional court with all the key roles in place. The difference is that all of those roles are played by youth.

What's New: With the reinvigoration of the S.C. Youth Court Association, the S.C. Bar now serves as a clearinghouse for information and a resource for reaching the S.C. Youth Court Association. For a list of Youth Court publications held by the S.C. Bar, please e-mail Donald Lanier at dlanier@scbar.org.

Click here to learn more.