Inviting students to ponder the meaning of secure elections can launch an important discussion about public trust in election results.

These highlighted defamation and libel cases offer provocative entry points into classroom discussions on free speech, the free press, and the First Amendment.   

The recently launched Educating for American Democracy (EAD) Roadmap reflects an awareness of how institutions, including our legal system, have shaped and defined multiple narratives of the American story.  Almost every EAD theme has a legal connection to the law, providing an effective means for student engagement. The author demonstrates how each theme might be incorporated within classrooms using a legal perspective. 

This year’s Law Day, on May 1, offers an opportune moment for students to examine and debate the meaning of the rule of law and how we can advance it in times of civil distress and unrest.

The Supreme Court closed out its 2000 term in June after issuing seventy-nine opinions and agreeing to take up more questions of interest to students and educators alike. Among the issues already slated for review after the 2001 term opens on October 1 are cases that could decide the future of affirmative action, the death penalty, and on-line pornography. Looking Back Last term was contentious for the justices, and not just because of the December decision in Bush v. Gore, No. 00-949—the case that effectively decided the 2000 presidential election. It determined both that the Florida…

A close examination of the Constitution’s Article V could launch a fascinating classroom debate on whether a constitutional convention today could break our legislative logjams. 

The sixtieth anniversary of Clarence Gideon’s court case, in which the Supreme Court decided that defendants in criminal proceedings should have access to a lawyer regardless of ability to pay, provides an opportune moment for an engaging lesson on the right to public defense.

Examining the recent monumental Supreme Court rulings on abortion, gun rights, and religious freedom can spark important classroom discussions on their legal, political, and social implications.   

The examination of compacts in the classroom offers an opportunity to explore areas of law that fall outside the most-taught legislative processes while serving as a jumping off point for discussions on federalism, state sovereignty, and separation of powers.

A classroom study of the gender-neutral statute known as Title IX can spark an engaging discussion on the law’s impact.