This report examines the development of law-related education (LRE), discusses the extent of its implementation in rural Illinois, and describes the efforts made by the Illinois Institute for Public Understanding About the Law (IIPUAL) in bringing LRE to rural schools. The goals of LRE are to provide students with an understanding of the law and legal processes and to improve their citizenship skills by equipping them with knowledge of both their rights and responsibilities. Concerns about providing LRE in rural schools include geographic location and the inability of rural schools to pay for the programs. Nevertheless, rural youth have as many or more problems than urban youth and could benefit as much as urban youth from LRE. A survey conducted by the IIPUAL confirms the low status of LRE in rural schools. Administrators consistently commented that, if given the opportunity, their districts would make LRE a part of their curriculum. Other activities of the IIPUAL include establishing a library of LRE instructional materials available for loan to rural schools; implementation of satellite programming and seminars; and partnerships between Western Illinois University and rural schools in program implementation and teacher training. This report concludes that LRE programs contribute to the prevention of delinquent behavior in young people and help decrease recidivism rates for those already in juvenile detention. (LP)